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Technology & Communications

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Economists have long recognized that technological innovation and enhanced communication increase productivity and reduce friction in economic activity.  And never before has technology’s impact on economic growth been as evident as it is today.

At IPI, we focus on technology and communications policy not only because it’s critical to economic growth, but also because government’s inherent tendency to regulate prospectively poses an active threat to the economic gains and lifestyle enhancements made possible by technological innovation.

The communications and technology industries are among the country’s most competitive and the biggest capital investors in the U.S. economy, and are thus prime engines of economic growth and job creation. It is critical that public policy encourages continued innovation and investment in the tech sector, and that we don’t limit the innovation upside with counterproductive taxes and regulations.

October 12, 2011

Protecting Property Rights on the Web: Thoughts on the Protect IP Act

Because intellectual property protection is critical to the U.S. economy and serves the interests of a secure and content rich Internet ecosystem, it is reasonable and within the realm of sound policy to discretely target rogue websites through a Protect IP Act that preserves due process and other legal protections while not creating undue compliance burdens and legal liability for third parties.

October 11, 2011

A Municipal Communications Network in Longmont--Still a Bad Idea

The City of Longmont, Colorado is considering providing not only Wi-Fi but also a whole package of telecommunications services, from voice to broadband to video, which would put the municipality in direct competition with multiple private companies. But market-oriented solutions are more efficient and less risky. Adopting the failed model of municipal networks is a mistake, as many municipalities across the country can attest.

July 26, 2011

Mobile Health: Innovations in Care and the Spectrum Challenge

On July 26, 2011 over 70 industry experts, policy analysts, Hill staff and members of the media joined IPI on Capitol Hill to examine the explosion of new and innovative ways wireless connectivity is changing the face of health care and the spectrum challenges that could kill real health care reform in its tracks.

April 25, 2011

A Survey of the Global Policy Landscape for Green Technology and Intellectual Property

While there is consensus that carbon-based energy sources will continue to meet the vast majority of the world’s energy needs for years to come, it is also clear that major breakthroughs across a range of clean energy technologies are essential to reconcile finite natural resources with seemingly infinite global energy demand.

September 1, 2010

Hanging Up On Liberty:How Prepaid Mobile Laws Restrict Freedom, Impose Onerous Regulations and Fail to Stop Criminal Behavior

An estimated 58 million Americans have embraced the convenience of pre-paid wireless service, but the "Pre-Paid Mobile Device Identification Act," sponsored by Senators Schumer (D-NY) and Cornyn (R-TX) would impose new regulations and costs on consumers of prepaid wireless service, and erode users’ privacy. These new burdens on consumers are not an acceptable tradeoff for what would likely be an ineffective tool against a handful of criminals.

Total Records: 505