Broadband
High-speed data connections, or broadband, are critical to the economy. Our work on broadband covers a wide range of topics, including the digital divide, wireline and wireless provision, spectrum, net neutrality, competition, and more.
Broadband Editorial Distracts from Meaningful Internet Policy
A recent editorial on U.S. broadband is based on a flawed understanding of broadband data, addresses the wrong issues, and distracts from real policy concerns, states Scott Wallsten in “Scientific American’s Flawed Broadband Analysis,” published today by the Technology Policy Institute. The editorial’s assertions that broadband prices are too high and speeds are too slow ignore the more nuanced state of the broadband market, the author explains, and do not support proposals to mandate network neutrality, unbundle access to local loops, and reclassify broadband in order to regulate access.
Broadband Competition Important for Spurring Investment
The number of wireline providers in an area has an impact on broadband speeds available, illustrating that competition is important for stimulating investment in networks, explain Scott Wallsten and Colleen Mallahan in “Residential Broadband Competition in the United States,” a white paper drafted for the Federal Communications Commission’s Omnibus Broadband Initiative. Wallsten discussed their findings yesterday at the 38th Research Conference on Communication, Information and Internet Policy, sponsored by TPRC.
The Future of Digital Communications Research and Policy
Over the past decade broadband has become nearly ubiquitously available to households and firms throughout the industrialized world. This rapid growth has spurred interest by policymakers and academics in understanding how public policies affect�and hopefully, encourage�investment and adoption. While such knowledge is useful, it is important to recognize that broadband investment and adoption are only inputs into societal well-being. We are ultimately interested in outputs: how does investment and use affect our standard of living and the economy more broadly?
Economic Impact of Broadband Difficult to Measure
While policymakers focus on driving residential broadband adoption as a key factor in economic recovery and growth, little research supports claims that such policies can have short-term economic effects, explains Scott Wallsten in “The Future of Digital Communications Research and Policy.” To assist policymakers, researchers should focus on the effects of broadband use in business to measure how the technology will impact productivity and, ultimately, in what ways it will shape the economy. The piece was first published in “The Future of Digital Communications: Policy Perspectives,” a collection of essays sponsored by Time Warner Cable, and will be published in the forthcoming volume of the Federal Communications Law Journal.
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.
Effective Broadband Adoption Solutions Discussed at Aspen Forum
A recent Federal Communications Commission report found that between 14 and 24 million people lack access to broadband. What are the best ways to expand access to unserved or underserved communities? What similar programs have been successful in the past? What are the most promising new ideas? How can the government encourage broadband deployment and adoption in these communities? Two leading technology experts who have been active in this area will discuss these questions and how they are addressed in the National Broadband Plan in the session, “Serving the Underserved: What Are the Best Ways to Do It?” at the TPI Aspen Forum, scheduled for August 22nd -24th.