Tim Karr has an excellent analysis of what we can look forward to the technological and policy battles we can look forward to in 2008. A lot of these areas directly intersect with the work I do at the New America Foundation and Tim's done a fantastic job of laying them out in an accessible way. Lots of links to background information and further reading:

Setting the Stage for a People-Powered Web in 2008

Posted January 4, 2008 | 09:19 AM (EST)

In the dimming days of 2007, we bared the Telcos' ugly side for all to see. Powerful communications companies including AT&T, Verizon and Comcast brought us a year of privacy invasions, threats to free speech and the deceptive blocking of Internet applications and access.

But all is not bleak. The year saw a number of prospects for getting high-speed Internet access and open communications to more Americans. But protecting a free-flowing Internet from these would-be gatekeepers depends largely on decisions we will make in 2008.

Below you'll find ten hopeful moments from 2007. Each in its own way has set the stage for the year ahead:

Read more...

Hoo-ray for open tech! Anne Eisenberg over at the New York Times featured the Neuros OSD -- an open source video recorder. The Neuros OSD is a pretty slick looking piece of hardware, but more importantly, everything about it is open -- all the way down to the circuitry. For those of us who've been advocating for open tech, this is an extremely interesting development (certain to rankle the RIAA, MPAA, and other entities fighting against our fair use rights.

Here's the NYTimes article:

Read more...

"Smart" wireless devices can use the unassigned frequencies between broadcast TV channels to offer wireless broadband and other innovative services. A rulemaking is pending at the FCC (docket 04-186) to permit unlicensed access to this currently wasted spectrum, subject to technical requirements that will protect television reception from interference. Access to the vacant TV channels in each market has been the subject of intense lobbying, yet far too many of the arguments against "white space" devices rely upon misinformation about the technologies and the FCC process that will prevent harmful interference to DTV reception and other incumbent services.

This policy backgrounder offers a summary analysis, and is an effort to help policymakers strike the appropriate balance between protecting existing services from interference while making the benefits of mobile broadband services available and affordable for all consumers. It provides policymakers with:

1. a brief historical background to the current FCC proceedings;
2. a description of White Space Device (WSD) technologies;
3. a “Myths vs. Facts” section addressing the key concerns raised about WSDs;
4. an overview of the public benefits of WSDs; and
5. a concise summary of where we are in the multi-phase process of adopting WSD technologies for consumer use.

For the full document, please click here.

The New America Foundation released the following media alert commenting on Verizon's so-called "any app, any device" plan:

Media Alert

November 27, 2007

Verizon "Any Device" Plan a Positive Step, But Details and Full Consumer Choice Still Needed

WASHINGTON - New America Foundation's Wireless Future Program offered qualified praise for this morning's announcement that Verizon Wireless will allow its customers to use any device it certifies on its wireless networks.

"Verizon's plan is a positive step, but FCC Chairman Martin and the other commissioners deserve the credit for making consumer choice a condition on the TV band spectrum licenses that will be auctioned early next year," said Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program. "This appears to be a move to head off market entry and new wireless competition from Google and other Internet companies that would result if the incumbent carriers were unwilling to meet minimal FCC consumer choice requirements."

"It remains to be seen whether the pricing and other details will in fact give consumers the same choice of devices and applications that they have on wireline Internet connections," said Sascha Meinrath, research director of the Wireless Future Program. "It is not enough to simply claim support for 'any' application and device. Verizon plans to certify equipment themselves; by definition this means that they will not let certain devices on their network. This and other inconsistencies leave me deeply concerned."

"Verizon's announcement is an acknowledgment that the carriers' business models can accommodate more openness, but the extent of this openness is not yet clear. We believe the FCC should still provide regulatory certainty that the FCC's Carterfone consumer choice rules apply equally to wired and wireless services," stated Mr. Calabrese.

For background on the Wireless consumer choice issue, see this New America paper by Columbia Law Professor Tim Wu:

http://www.newamerica.net/publications/policy/wireless_net_neutrality

Additional background is available at www.newamerica.net/wireless_future.

CONTACT:

Michael Calabrese
Sascha D. Meinrath
202-986-2700

Here's a piece of PR masterwork from the folks at Verizon. For those who have been following the Open Platform debate (an initiative to require an open platform for interconnection of any devices/applications on a small piece of the upcoming 700MHz band that's going to be auctioned in January), you know that Verizon has been 100% against the idea. Verizon has been so entirely against the idea that they contacted the Chairman of the FCC asking that he kill it while, at the same time, they sued the FCC to prevent open platform requirements from going through.

Verizon, in a nutshell, hates the idea of an open platform for the interconnection of devices and applications -- to the point that the FCC Chairman called me and Harold Feld into his office to attempt to get the Public Interest Spectrum Coalition to back off on our open platform demands.

So what's this news really about? Basically, Verizon wants to be able to charge customers (at a price and rate still to be set) to access the services and applications they want on the devices they own. Verizon is, attempting to turn the applications you have bought and paid for (or downloaded for free if you're using free open source software) into commodity so that they can charge you a second time to access them via the Verizon network. In essence, Verizon is adding a corporate tax that goes straight into their coffers for the so-called "privilege" to run the services and applications you want, on the devices you've already bought and paid for. On a digital communications network, data is data is data -- the network doesn't care if the packet is voice, video, text, or any other media -- an open platform should require that data is treated the same way as it is on a DSL line. The idea that Verizon would be able to differentiate among services (and charge users a second time to access an "open platform") is ridiculous. Yet without some sort of rule to stop this form of corporate malfeasance, it's unlikely that we'll ever see cellular DSL-esque services from Verizon.

However this plays out, it's quite likely that Verizon will now be going after the C-band in the January 2008 spectrum auction. Between this and the Android announcement by Google, we could see a fairly interesting bidding war between the two.

From money.cnn.com

Verizon Wireless to Introduce 'Any Apps, Any Device' Option for Customers in 2008

New Open Development Initiative Will Accelerate Innovation and Growth

November 27, 2007: 07:30 AM EST

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Nov. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless today announced that it will provide customers the option to use, on its nationwide wireless network, wireless devices, software and applications not offered by the company. Verizon Wireless plans to have this new choice available to customers throughout the country by the end of 2008.

Read more...

A number of folks have asked me to provide my plenary presentation from the Broadband in Cities and Towns Conference that took place October 30-31, 2007. Better Broadband for Cities and Towns and the Rise of Open Technology explores the explosive growth of community wireless networking around the globe and highlights a half-dozen networks, the implementation of the CAIDA COMMONS Project to interlink participating networks, and emergent open technologies that will shift community networks to a "device as infrastructure" model.

Thanks to Peter Kese, who took my presentation and merged it with video on his nifty platform over at videolectures.net. My presentation, Wireless Tech & Regulatory Reality: Policy & Fantasy in the 21st Century provides a background analysis of community wireless technologies and an overview of the political battle over White Space Devices in the United States. This was presented in Maribor, Slovenia on October 26, 2007 at the Kiblix Conference.

South Africa has thrown its hat into the non-proprietary ring. I expect that a growing number of countries will move in this direction as they do the cost-benefits analysis and quickly realize that FOSS technologies are far more cost-effective than proprietary tech (even when you have to pay to help with development efforts). My hope is that South Africa will consider supporting open source wireless technologies as well, since telecommunications infrastructure is desperately needed in many regions of the country.

From: www.govtech.com

South Africa Adopts Open Source Software Policy

Nov 1, 2007, News Report

While the South African open source software (OSS) market is still in its development stage, the recent decision by the South African Government to adopt a Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) policy is a significant boost for the industry, according to a release from Frost and Sullivan.

A new analysis from Frost & Sullivan South African Open Source Software Market, finds that both the public and private sectors will benefit from the expansion of OSS, as the cost reductions realised will not only encourage the start up of new businesses, but will also allow the government to channel resources to much needed areas such as healthcare and education.

"OSS provides South Africa with an alternative to the costly applications of proprietary software vendors," notes Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst Lindsey McDonald. "The government's adoption of the FOSS policy is a major driver for this market, as OSS will be used at all levels of the government where it is comparable to or more suitable than proprietary software."

There is a high level of collaboration among OSS developers and the government policy should serve to further increase collaboration in this market, continued the release. This in turn will result in the development of applications uniquely suited to the South African environment.

However, a general lack of awareness is threatening the extensive use of OSS. "Many potential users are not aware of the benefits or capabilities of OSS," says McDonald. "These include the potential to customize it for any purpose and the availability of the source code to all users. Additionally, there is a perceived lack of support for OSS software."

While this is true in some cases, a growing number of companies are also offering OSS support and customization services.

Overall, market participants need to challenge the view that OSS is simply for technology enthusiasts, concluded the release. The practical benefits of OSS should receive more attention. Focusing on the strengths of OSS rather than the alleged weaknesses of proprietary software would be a positive manner in which to promote the use of OSS.

Wireless Tech & Regulatory Reality: Policy & Fantasy in the 21st Century provides a background analysis of community wireless technologies and an overview of the political battle over White Space Devices in the United States. This was presented in Maribor, Slovenia on October 26, 2007 at the Kiblix Conference (an intriguing blend of art and Linux -- Maja Vuksanović did a great job coordinating my time there).

I've been talking for awhile now about open tech and the coming disruptions to established business models and incumbent communications infrastructures. The Elevate.at Conference was a fantastic integration of music and politics -- DJs and tech-heads hanging out together in an underground bunker dug out of the mountain under a medieval castle (yes, it was quite cool -- a big thanks to Roland and Dan for inviting me).

Open Technology and the Wireless Future discusses the rise of the Intranet era, Intranet services and applications, and the COMMONS Project. I gave the presentation on October 25, 2007.