Information Economy Project Mini-Conference: "Innovation, Technology, and Spectrum Policy, " Nov. 14, 2006

The 21st Century is emerging as the Wireless Era.  With over 2.5 billion cellular subscribers, global markets and national economies are being reshaped by innovative mobile services.  The advent of wireless broadband now promises further advances.  Yet, radio spectrum – the key input into the wireless economy – continues to be parsimoniously dribbled out by regulators, allocated on administrative models of the 1920s.  Each decision to make additional bandwidth available for the use of innovative technologies is subject to bureaucratic evaluation, process delays, and then often burdened (or buried) with numerous regulatory restrictions.  Initiatives put forward to break-through this gauntlet now include Municipal Wi-Fi systems and Reallocating TV Band Spectrum for unlicensed device use.  This Mini-Conference considers these proposals, and others, in the search for pro-consumer spectrum policies.

2:15-3:30 pm:  Panel 1.  MUNICIPAL WiFi: THE REALITY >> video

* Coleman Bazelon, Analysis Group: "Why Muni WiFi?" >> slides

* Dewayne Hendricks, CEO, Dandin Group: "Municipal Wi-FiakaMunicipal Wireless" >> slides

* Andrew Orlowski, The Register: "What Would a Martian Think?" >> slides

3:30 pm:  KEYNOTE >> video

* Dr. Irwin Mark Jacobs, Chairman of the Board, Qualcomm >> slides

4:15-5:30 pm: Panel 2.  TV BAND “WHITE SPACE”: TWO VIEWS >> video

* Pierre de Vries, University of Southern California >> slides

* Thomas Hazlett, George Mason University: "Competitive v. Top-Down: The TV Band “White Space” Issue" >> slides

Moderator: Andrew Kreig, Wireless Communications Association