Technology & Communications

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.

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.

In this letter the Institute for Policy Innovation provides input regarding the direction given in The Recovery Act tasking the Commission with developing a national broadband plan.

The history of municipal broadband projects, especially municipal wireless programs, is a history of hubris, mismanagement and failure. Such projects have been plagued by (among other things) underestimates of costs and overestimates of subscriber take up. As federal officials consider disbursing billions of taxpayer dollars to extend broadband coverage to unserved and underserved areas, they should be wary of funding municipal broadband programs.

As Congress and the FCC consider calls from activist groups demanding restrictions on how network companies manage their networks, they should begin with the understanding that Internet bandwidth, like everything else, is a scarce commodity and must be managed to give businesses and consumers the kind of speedy and robust Internet that we have all come to depend on—both now and in the future.