The%20FCC,%20Telecom%20policy%20and%20Washington%20DC%20as%20seen%20by%20a%20Technologist%20

1
The FCC, Telecom policy and Washington DC as seen
by a Technologist the Mushroom Farm David J.
Farber Alfred Fitler Moore Professor of
Telecommunication University of Pennsylvania And
(Former) Chief Technologist of the FCC
2
The FCC

• What is the structure of the FCC
• The Chairman
• The Staff
• So what does the Chief Technologist do?
• How are decisions made

3
Politics 101

• The new Commission
• Mike Powell
• What are the critical issues he/she face
• Spectrum , spectrum, spectrum
• Unbundling
• Economic relationships
• The internet!!

4
Politics 101

• USA
• Will the internet escape regulation
• The reality of inside the beltway
• Security and privacy may be the wedge
• The legacy businesses -- will they give up

5
The Next Generation Internet -- Citizens

• We are at a cross road
• It could evolve to a TV structure for the
  citizens
• Limited program availability -- just more TV and
  shopping
• It could be Snowcrash

6
The Real Next Generation -- Optical Networks

• Implications
• Protocols IP?
• Processor architecture
• Software systems
• Will it be a fully distributed system -- back to
  the past

7
Likely Future (2)

• Megabits to the home and in the home
• XDSL,
• Cable,
• Fiber
• Wireless
• A challenge to the establishment -- the carriers

8
Broadband Access

• Will it be open?
• What does that really mean
• Why worry

9
Mobility

• Next generation
• 3g
• Claims lots of new services
• Good data rates but at what cost
• Spectrum!! And costs
• Bluetooth, 802.11 and the like
• How long can it exist in the chaos of unlicensed
  space
• Should the FCC establish room for semi-licensed
• The Electronic Bill of Rights for Radios

10
Security and Availability Will Be the Drivers

• The current internet is vulnerable
• Points of potential vulnerability
• Service protocols
• Commercial arrangements
• Old software
• Hard to design security in after the fact

11
Digital Divide

• Will we be two nations?
• Will we be two worlds?
• How and why must we bridge the gap

12
Nation States

• Taxes
• Culture
• Rights

13
Individuals

• Privacy
• 1984 fears
• Big government
• Big brother
• Big business