TPRC52 Panel Sessions

Friday, September 20, 2:05 pm

Policy dimensions to commercialization strategies in NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program

This panel will discuss three key policy issues. Firstly, what can be learned from past government policy decisions to purchase commercial communications services? Secondly, what should NASA’s role be in different commercial models, and what might the advantages or disadvantages of various approaches be? Finally, how should NASA optimize the benefits of having a competitive market place, versus the economies of scale benefits of bulk purchasing?

Panelists include:
Gregory Heckler, Program Executive for Commercialization at NASA SCaN 
Robert Conrad, Vice President of Business Development, Kepler Communications 
Erica Lieb Weir, Teltrium Strategic Director
Philip Harlow, President of Telesat Government Solutions
Edward Oughton, Assistant Professor, George Mason University (Moderator)

Towards 6G

If previous timeframes are to be followed, the next generation cellular system, 6G, can expect to roll out around 2030 (i.e., just 6 years from today). Consequently, discussions in the 3GPP and ITU on the development of 6G standards will begin in 2024. Thus, it is timely and relevant to bring together experts who are considering the technical, economic, policy, and regulation that surround the expectations of this emerging standard. In this light, multiple questions need to be addressed to start defining the new standard from multiple perspectives. These questions include but are not limited to the following: Should 6G be 10x faster than 5G? Should it be a lower cost than other standards (e.g., 5G) to reduce the digital divide? Should it focus on programmability and customization? How should spectrum sharing be incorporated into this new standard? The panel will address these and other topics that are likely to emerge over the next several months.

Moderator:
Dominique Lazanski, Independent Consultant

Invited panelists:
Martin Weiss, University of Pittsburgh, SpectrumX
Monisha Ghosh, Director of Policy Outreach, SpectrumX
Mohamed Al-Moghazi, Telecom Regulatory Authority, Egypt
Colby Harper, WINNForum

Digital Regulatory Agencies: Reboot, Retrofit, and Reform. Perspectives from regulators in USA, EU, Asia, Latin America and Africa.

This panel compares and contrasts how regulatory agencies and approaches are emerging in different regions to address digital challenges and opportunities. The audience will learn whether and how nations decide to address problems with current resources, reform existing regulatory agencies, create new ones, or leave the problems alone. The panelists are leading authors and regulators who will describe the dynamic landscape of digital technologies, their impact on various sectors, and the role of a digital regulatory agencies for these areas. They will discuss the challenges that digital regulatory agencies face--promoting innovation and consumer protection, managing data privacy and security, and balancing free speech and misinformation. The panel will cover a wide range of topics related to a government agency’s role and responsibilities in overseeing the digital landscape. Speakers present international perspectives on how digital regulatory agencies are emerging in US, EU, Asia, Latin America and Africa.

Moderator: Ian MacInnes, University of Nebraska Omaha

Panelists:
Thomas Wheeler, former Chairman, Federal Communications Commission, Brookings Institute. Author of  Techlash: Who Makes the Rules in the Digital Gilded Age?
Lawrence J. Spiwak, President of the Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal & Economic Public Policy
Roxana Barrantes, Institute of Peruvian Studies
Toshiya Jitsuzumi, Chuo University, Japan
Lisa Agard, Chair, Chair of the C9, a CANTO Working Group of Caribbean Telecommunications Operators

How Do We Define “Good” Broadband in the Future? Evolving Internet Performance Metrics to Support the Policy Objectives of Broadband Universal Service

Panelists:
Mike Conlow, Director of Network Strategy, Cloudflare
Jason Livingood, Vice President of Technology Policy, Product & Standards, Comcast
Carol Mattey, Mattey Consulting LLC.
David Reed, Scholar in Residence and Senior Research Associate in the Computer Science Department, University of Colorado Boulder and Senior Fellow, Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship at the CU Law School.

Saturday, September 21, 2:00pm

Spectrum Management and Wireless Policy Challenges and Opportunities

Discussion topics may include the influence of emerging technologies such as open and virtual networks, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and quantum computing; security and privacy issues; and economic, market, and societal concerns and solutions.

Overall, the panel aims to generate discussion around key opportunities for successful spectrum management and wireless policy. What are important lessons learned, nationally and from other countries? What worked well, what research is needed, and how best to leverage the opportunities?

Panelists:
Preston Marshall, Director, Wireless Standards and Policy, Google Internet Evangelism; Chairman of the Board, OnGo (CBRS) Alliance; Co-Chair, Spectrum Sharing Committee, Wireless Innovation Forum 
Giulia McHenry, Chief, Office of Economics and Analytics at Federal Communications Commission
Shiva Goel, Senior Advisor, NTIA
Monisha Ghosh, Director of Policy Outreach, SpectrumX
Jennifer Warren, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs & Public Policy, Lockheed Martin
Carolyn Kahn, MITRE, moderator

The State of AI Governance in the African Union

As the United States and European Union opine upon the future of AI governance, having leaders from the African Union at the table can ensure international cooperation, as well as a geopolitical focus. For example, as many new concerns arise around the negative impacts of AI (e.g., bias, data privacy, etc.), the West primarily dominates the conversation, excluding African countries with similar challenges. In this panel, experts in AI, data privacy, and global governance address how to ensure greater participation from the African Union to truly encourage multilateral conversations, and explore areas of alignment, and differences in existing and future governance strategies. The panelists will also bring up specific use cases of AI that are of high priority and concern to the continent.

Panelists:
Nicol Turner Lee, Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Technology Innovation, Brookings Institution and author of Digitally Invisible: How the Internet is Creating the New Underclass (Moderator)
Chinasa T. Okolo, Fellow, Brookings Institution and Consulting Expert, the AU-AI Continental Strategy for Africa
Ololade Shyllon, Head of Privacy Policy, Africa, Middle East, and Turkey, Meta
Landry Signe, Distinguished Fellow, Center for African Studies, Stanford University and Chairman, the Global Network for Africa's Prosperity