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| Friday (concise) | Friday (expanded) | Saturday (concise) | Saturday (expanded) | Sunday (concise) | Sunday (expanded) |
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Friday, September 26, 2008 |
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| 1:00 pm | Registration | ||
| 2:00 pm | Panels | ||
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| This panel will review the mid- and long-term recommendations for a comprehensive U.S. communication policy agenda to be presented to the new administration by a working group of 15 U.S. scholars under the auspices of the IIP at Penn State. | |||
| Moderator: | Amit Schejter | ||
| Participants: | Rob Frieden - Penn State Heather Hudson - University of San Francisco Krishna Jayakar - Penn State Kathryn Montgomery - American University Jon Peha - Carnegie Mellon University Sharon Strover - University of Texas Andrea Tapia - Penn State Richard Taylor - Penn State |
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| In his recent work, Jonathan Zittrain sets forth two visions of the Internet’s future—one grounded in its history as a “generative” platform and another reflecting the emerging appliance-like nature of Internet technology (say, as embodied in the iPhone). On Zittrain’s view, the emergence of an appliance-like Internet represents an existential threat. He recognizes that this trend is powered by understandable consumer fears of vulnerability of living in an Internet environment where they face threats of denial of service attacks, viruses, and spam, but believes that the remedies to these concerns—built-in limitations in computing and Internet experiences—are worse than the disease. In this panel discussion, we will evaluate the nature of the Internet’s generativity and the case for policy measures to protect the Internet’s legacy architecture. In making this case, Zittrain suggests that current social norms and market forces are leading to an Internet that is less innovative, less creative, and less exciting. This panel will thus evaluate both (1) Zittrain’s positive theory of the Internet’s evolution and the role of network security—i.e., that generativity is increasingly threatened; and (2) Zittrain’s normative argument that the emerging responses to that concern threaten the Internet’s core values and warrant pro-active policy solutions. |
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| Moderator: | Phil Weiser | ||
| Participants: | Scott Hemphill, Associate Professor of Law, Columbia University Maureen Ohlhausen, Director of Policy Planning, Federal Trade Commission Pamela Samuelson, Professor of Law, University of California-Berkeley Christopher Yoo, Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Jonathan Zittrain, Professor of Law, Harvard University Gigi Sohn, CEO, Public Knowledge Link Hoewing, Vice President Technology Policy at Verizon |
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| 4:00 pm | Panels | ||
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| Without question, next generation access networks will define the character of communications sector development for decades. It is understood that to promote the maximum competition between telecommunications and cable, and wire-line and wireless networks is vital – and, in many markets, the professed goal of regulators. However, while some markets have been more successful than others, the impact of platform competition on the deployment of NGNs has been little discussed to-date. The panel will focus on this little understood but vital question – platform competition (competition among competing telecommunications infrastructures) and the extent to which its existence and degree in a market has a role (if any) in stimulating particular NGN deployment strategies and architectures. For instance, if fiber is being deployed in a particular market, has (perhaps) the existence of platform competition played a role in the decision to deploy, and if so, in what way (e.g., wireless, as in Portugal; fiber only in the core, extended to the node, to the street, to the premises)? Further, how critical is regulatory forbearance to the development of multiple platforms and/or the decision to invest in NGN deployment? And finally, has there been a role for consumer demand in this equation, and if so, what type of ‘demand’ has been deemed significant (e.g., take-up of deployed fiber is high in Korea, but reportedly, not take-up of the highest speed offers)? | |||
| Moderator: | Jacquelynn Ruff, Vice President, International Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Verizon |
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| Participants: |
Martin Cave, Director, Centre for Management under Regulation Warwick Business School |
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| The Internet already reaches into every country in the world and provides businesses worldwide with a common platform for communication and commerce. In its various forms and functions, it has become an essential means of conducting and coordinating business activities across the economy as a whole, linking business supply chains continent-wide and globally, supplying and supporting financial services, creating a universal consumer marketplace and sharing information across the world. Today millions of businesses and hundreds of millions of users worldwide rely on the Internet for activities central to their daily lives. Unhindered, open and equitable access to the Internet has become a great socio-economic leveler around the world, particularly for people in developing countries and for disadvantaged groups in developed countries. The Internet has become a fundamental part of our economic and social infrastructure. Information and communications technology (ICT) policy is increasingly becoming a mainstream element of economic policy. An international and multi-stakeholder approach is the key to developing and effectively putting into practice appropriate policies for the future of the Internet Economy. With this in mind, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) held a Ministerial Conference in Seoul, Korea, on June 17-18, titled “The Future of the Internet Economy” (see www.oecd.org/futureinternet). The outputs of the Ministerial Conference include a Ministerial Declaration, an accompanying Policy Framework document, a Statistical Profile of the Internet Economy and a Work Program covering the next two years. As a follow-up to the OECD Seoul Ministerial Conference, in this panel discussion we will try to develop the outline of a medium term Policy Research Agenda, covering identified current and future issues related to the further development and growth of the Internet Economy. These issues relate to five broad themes: Improving Economic Performance and Social Welfare, Benefiting from Convergence, Promoting Creativity, Building Confidence, and A Global Internet Economy. Such a Policy Research Agenda could help to guide and provide a context for specific research projects and initiatives for academic researchers, in North America and other developed and developing countries. | |||
| Moderator: | Dr. Prabir Neogi, Government of Canada | ||
| Participants: |
Mr. Andrew Wyckoff, OECD |
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| 5:30 pm | Reception | ||
| 6:30 pm | Dinner | ||
| 7:15 pm | Keynote Speaker | ||
| William E. Kovacic, | |||
| Federal Trade Commission | |||