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ITIF Forum: It’s Time to End The Broadband Policy Wars

In recent years, the debate over broadband policy has become a partisan war that makes it extremely difficult to have any sensible and analytically-based discussion of the critical issues in this policy area. In a new report, “Moving to a Post-Partisan Broadband Policy World,” ITIF calls for an end, or at least a serious de-escalation, of the conflict. Please join us for a release of the report and a discussion by panelists on all sides of the issue. While we’re not expecting everyone to be holding hands and singing Kumbaya by the end of the event, we do think there can at least be some common ground.

Among the issues to be discussed,

• Can broadband providers do anything they want on “their pipes” or do they have certain public interest obligations? Is the market a sufficient regulator or does the government have a role in this?
• Where does the US really stand on broadband penetration and does it matter?
• If we are lagging on broadband deployment, who’s to blame?
• Is one or two pipes enough competition?
• When is municipal broadband appropriate?

Moderator:

• Rob Atkinson, President, The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

Panelists:

• Scott Cleland, Founder and President, Precursor, LLC

• Harold Feld, Senior Vice President, Media Access Project
• Ken Peres, Research Economist, Communication Workers of America

What: It’s Time to End the Broadband Policy Wars

When: September 9th, 2008, 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM

Where: ITIF, 1250 Eye Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, D.C. 20005 (click here for a map and directions)

Event Audio and Video

Video coming soon

Download audio (MP3)

Related Links

Time for a Post-Partisan Broadband Debate
September 9, 2008
ITIF WebMemo calling for a more reasoned and less vitriolic broadband policy debate.