The importance of the communications sector as a driver of innovation and the economic recovery has increasingly put the Federal Communications Commission at the center of critically important policy debates. Policies involving broadband penetration and adoption, spectrum allocation, and network neutrality will affect the evolution of the media and communications industries for years to come. FCC Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Robert M. McDowell will share their views and recommendations on these and related issues during the closing luncheon panel, “A Conversation with the Commissioners” at the TPI Aspen Forum, scheduled for August 21 – 23 in Aspen, Colorado.
Aspen Forum
Senator Udall to Give Welcoming Remarks at Aspen Forum
Colorado Senator Mark Udall will offer welcoming remarks at the Technology Policy Institute’s Aspen Forum, scheduled for August 21-23. Senator Udall, elected to the U.S. Senate in 2008 after serving five terms as Representative of Colorado’s 2nd district, has worked to promote the development of Colorado’s aerospace industry, and the clean energy and high technology sectors. Senator Udall currently serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and the Select Committee on Intelligence.
Aspen Panel: Information and Privacy: In Search of a Data-Driven Policy
Data privacy raises issues that are central to the health of the Internet ecosystem and will be a major focus of this year’s TPI Aspen Forum. While proposals have emanated from the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Commerce, and Congress, few data exist on the nature and extent of the problem and how proposed privacy regulations would impact consumers. Distinguished speakers from academia, government and industry will debate the future of privacy policy during the discussion panel, “Information and Privacy: In Search of a Data-Driven Policy.” The TPI Aspen Forum is scheduled for August 21 – 23 in Aspen, Colorado.
Tech Entrepreneur Peter Thiel to Speak at TPI Aspen Forum
Peter Thiel, technology entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, will join other notable keynote speakers at the Technology Policy Institute’s 2011 Aspen Forum, scheduled for August 21 – 23. Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and investor in such tech companies as Facebook, LinkedIn, and SpaceX, is expected to share his perspective on the current economy and the environment for innovation in the technology sector.
TPI Aspen Forum Preview Agenda Now Available
A preview agenda is now available for the Technology Policy Institute Aspen Forum, scheduled this year for August 21 – 23. Confirmed keynote speakers include Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack, Chair of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Dale Jorgenson, Samuel W. Morris University Professor at Harvard University, and Mark McLaughlin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Verisign.
Smart Grid Issues Discussed at TPI Aspen Forum
The increased use of electronics in our daily lives has strained America’s electricity infrastructure. Can “Smart Grid” technologies and the modernization of the power infrastructure keep up with the increased demand for energy? Are incentives and other programs helping at the state and federal levels? Is Smart Grid a prudent investment that will benefit consumers, or an expensive boondoggle fraught with standards, control and gold plating issues? The Technology Policy Institute Aspen Forum will feature a breakout session on Smart Grid technologies, their implementation, and related issues for utility regulators. The session is one of three off-the-record discussions scheduled at the Forum, to be held August 22 – 24 at the St. Regis in Aspen, Colorado.
Online Privacy Issues Examined at Aspen Forum
The question of whether and how to regulate the collection and use of online information is receiving renewed attention from the Congress, Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Commerce. What are the privacy problems we face on the Internet? Are they amenable to government or market solutions? What are the strengths and weaknesses of pending legislative proposals? What are the tradeoffs involved in regulating information flows more stringently? These questions will be examined at the TPI Aspen Forum breakout session “Privacy Online: Where Do We Go From Here?” The discussion is one of three off-the-record breakout sessions scheduled at the TPI Aspen Forum, to be held August 22 – 24 at the St. Regis in Aspen, Colorado.
Wireless and Spectrum Issues Explored at Aspen Forum
The explosive growth in smartphone use, emerging 4G networks, and the tantalizing possibility of wireless broadband as a substitute for wireline broadband have brought spectrum issues to the front of telecom debates. The Technology Policy Institute Aspen Forum will feature a roundtable discussion on spectrum and wireless topics such as the growing scope of wireless industries and competition in those areas, how to clear spectrum as called for by the National Broadband Plan, and how the U.S. and other countries are meeting growing challenges facing wireless. The session is one of three off-the-record discussions scheduled at the TPI Aspen Forum, to be held August 22 – 24 at the St. Regis in Aspen, Colorado.