CSR Event

Tuesday, March 11
Breakfast available at 8AM; Program 9-10:30 AM

The Paley Center for Media
25 West 52nd Street
New York, NY

On January 24 of this year, the Federal Communications Commission began a major auction of 700 megahertz of some of the most valuable spectrum ever to be made available to the commercial wireless industry – “beachfront property” that may never be available again. The sale, which is expected to raise more than $10 billion for the federal government, results from television broadcasters moving from the current analog signal to a new digital format which requires substantially less spectrum.

The auction comes at a critical time for American consumers, and many experts believe the coming months could help determine just how “closed” or “open” America’s wireless future will be. Competitors for the newly freed-up spectrum include telecom giants Verizon and AT&T and the search engine giant Google. According to data provided by the FCC, bidding on a key 50-state nationwide package of spectrum has now surpassed the “reserve” level – $4.6 billion – guaranteeing that spectrum will be sold and triggering critical “open access” provisions. But the bidding process remains confidential, and the identity of the winning bidder probably won’t be known for weeks.

What will be the rules in this expanding wireless universe? Will the wireless Internet of the future continue to resemble current cell phone services – with providers largely controlling what’s on offer – or will it be truly open to all devices, applications and content? Will innovators and entrepreneurs be able to create new products and services for the internet on wireless the way they have over fixed wire broadband? What choices will be available to consumers? Some experts believe low-income Americans will come to rely on wireless devices for their primary access to the internet. What access will those citizens have, and what will it cost?

The answers are critical to the future of communications and democracy in America.Open MIC – the Open Media and Information Companies Initiative – and the Paley Center for Media invite you to join a select group of executives from media and technology companies, and policy and academic leaders, for this provocative panel discussion.

Please join a select group of executives from media and technology companies, and policy and academic leaders, for this provocative panel discussion.

Click here to register