Want to escape the net neutrality quagmire but still talk communications policy this summer? Come to TPI’s Aspen Forum, where we will cover many other aspects of communications policy, such as infrastructure, access, process, and international regulatory issues. Academics, industry experts, and policymakers will opine on the communications landscape under the new administration.
What policies should the new FCC consider to bridge the digital divide? If we ever see the infrastructure bill that’s always just around the corner, should it include subsidies for broadband buildout and, if so, how should they be distributed? A panel moderated by a veteran communications policy journalist will cover these and other issues.
How is the competitive landscape changing? Which wireline companies want to own which wireless companies? Or is it the other way around? How should antitrust authorities think about possible deals or joint ventures? How are media companies responding to this new world? Are we likely to see more vertical integration? Another panel will focus on business imperatives to consolidate and potential policy responses to such trends.
Business reasons for consolidation and policy responses are not limited to the United States—they are interlinked around the world. Indeed, with the global series of tubes, or network of networks, as some call it, what happens to the Internet in one part of the globe can affect it in other parts.
How is international Internet governance changing since the U.S. Department of Commerce let its Memorandum of Understanding with ICANN expire? Is the influence of the United Nations, and through it, small countries, increasing? How is China influencing international norms? A friend of TPI who has built a career in the global policy sphere will moderate an all-star panel to discuss these issues.
(Want to see a broader view of international issues concerning the free movement of data and services? Watch the event we co-hosted with PPI – “Global Connections in an Era of Skepticism”)
Off-the-record working groups will take on communications and internet policy questions in less formal settings. One will focus what we have learned about repurposing spectrum from the incentive auction and new approaches to sharing, such as in the 3.5 GHz band. Participants will also discuss questions like whether increased licensing flexibility would have been better approach? (Spoiler alert: Some will say yes and some will say no).
Another relevant working group for communications policy aficionados is agency process reform. FCC Chairman Pai has vowed to increase transparency and better inform decision-making at the agency during his tenure. Is he? Does a reorganization ever make sense, or is that like rearranging deck chairs on…well, not the Titanic, but on a boat that continues in the same direction regardless of deck chair arrangement? When an agency is a creation of Congress, how intimately involved should Congress be? Attendees at this Aspen Forum working group will debate the agency roles and processes that most affect the tech and communications sector.
Don’t be the last person on your block to register for TPI’s Eight Annual Aspen Forum. Register here today.
(If you need a hit of the Aspen Forum right away, select keynotes and panels from last year’s Forum – and all the Forums back to 2010 – are on the TPI YouTube channel.)
For Addition Information:
Jane Creel, 202-828-4405, [email protected]
Press Contact for Complimentary Registration:
Amy Smorodin, 202-828-4405, [email protected]
The Technology Policy Institute’s Aspen Forum is an annual, multi-day policy symposium held in Aspen, Colorado. The premier event gathers leaders from business, government and academia to discuss key public policy issues affecting the technology and communications industries. Since 2010, almost 900 attendees have gathered at the St. Regis resort for provocative discussions and keynotes on topics ranging from U.S. competitiveness and innovation to broadband penetration to entertainment distribution models. The depth of discussions make the event a unique experience for attendees.
