Open Networks

In the Matter of RURAL CELLULAR ASSOCIATION RM-11497

Petition for Rulemaking Regarding Exclusivity Arrangements Between Commercial Wireless Carriers and Handset Manufacturers

REPLY COMMENTS of the Ad Hoc PUBLIC INTEREST SPECTRUM COALITION

No starter pistol announces the beginning of a new technological era.[1] There are no cannon blasts or tower bells ringing forth the end of the old and dawn of the new.

Statement of Public Interest Groups on Proposed Broadband Principles in Upcoming Economic Stimulus Package

Local and National Groups urge the Obama-Biden Administration and Congress to focus on Accountability, Local Approaches, Access and Adoption, Internet Freedom and a Coherent National Broadband Policy

America’s communications infrastructure is stuck at a copper wall. For the vast majority of homes, copper wires remain the principal means of getting broadband services. The deployment of fiber optic connections to the home would enable exponentially faster connections, and few dispute that upgrading to more robust infrastructure is essential to America’s economic growth. However, the costs of such an upgrade are daunting for private sector firms and even for governments. These facts add up to a public… more

Wireless Net neutrality is not exactly a novel idea. One proposal emerged in the form of a working paper by Columbia University law professor Tim Wu published in February 2007, which says that wireless carriers "should be subject to the same core network neutrality principles."

Wu argued that the rise of the wireless industry has led to "carriers aggressively controlling product design and innovation in the equipment and application markets, to the detriment of consumers. In the wired world, their policies… more

November 3, 2008

Ms. Marlene H. Dortch Secretary Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St. SW Washington, DC 20554

Re: In the Matter of Implementation of Section 304 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Commercial Availability of Navigation Devices, Compatibility Between Cable Systems and Consumer Electronics Equipment, CS Docket No. 97-80, PP Docket No. 00-67

Dear Ms. Dortch:

Is the Internet as we knew it - an open platform for innovation - a victim of its own commercial success? In his important new book, Jonathan Zittrain argues that both the Internet and the PC are on a path to a lockdown, devolving into "tethered appliances" that reduce our freedom to innovate. Zittrain argues that the openness of PCs and the Internet spawned an abundance of connectivity and creativity, but have also brought us a… more

NOTE: Due to a last-minute scheduling conflict, Douglas Holtz-Eakin is unable to participate in today's event, and the McCain campaign will not be sending an alternate spokesperson. The event will proceed as scheduled with Reed Hundt representing the Obama campaign.

The next president is going to face a host of pressing questions involving technology:

Why is the United States falling behind the rest of the world in broadband access, and how can we reverse that? What should our immigration policy be for… more

Prospects are bright for building under an Obama White House on successes by supporters of Carterfone, net neutrality rules and open spectrum for wireless broadband, leading activists said. Groundbreaking changes probably will come Nov. 4 with the arrival of a friendly national administration and FCC white- space rules, said President Andrew Schwartzman of the Media Access Project Tuesday at an open-wireless conference of Google and the New America Foundation. "Policy makers are ready to listen," he said: "There's likely to be a very receptive environment going forward."… more