Telecom & Technology

President Obama announced a new initiative today aimed at providing far better Internet connectivity for American schools.

In the past, it’s been difficult for Iranian activists to access critical communications tools – but not because of the Iranian regime. Instead, it was due (at least in part) to confusing sanctions regulations which made it legally and politically risky for American companies to export their products. The good news: The U.S. government decided to do something about those convoluted regulations.

On May 17, Federal Communications Commission Chair Julius Genachowski will clean out his desk at the agency, leaving his successor with a laundry list of pressing and unresolved issues. So which problems should the new FCC chairman tackle first?

The Open Technology Institute (OTI) recently convened a panel of representatives from the public interest community and the wireless carrier industry to discuss the next chairman’s priorities, the state of the wireless market in 2013 and other critical  issues at the Commission. Here are six key takeaways:

Community members launched two new wireless networks at the end of April in Detroit neighborhoods, with a third one still in the works. Built on the Commotion mesh wireless platform, these networks function as local communications infrastructure: they act as an intranet for community interactions, and connect to the global Internet.

From malicious hackers to viruses to privacy concerns, using the Internet is “risky behavior,” but generally abstinence is not an option. While most people are familiar with some of these threats, even those in tech-savvy circles are quick to admit that they are not taking sufficient precautions to protect themselves.

Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen, authors of The New Digital Age, acknowledge that “technology doesn't just help the good guys pushing for democratic reform—it can also provide powerful new tools for dictators to suppress dissent."

Today, a coalition of over 25 organizations, including public interest, media reform, Internet freedom, and grassroots organizations sent a letter to President Obama urging him to choose a strong public interest advocate to become chairperson of the Federal Communication Commission. Read the full text of the letter below or download a copy (pdf).

The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States

Since 2009, wireless mesh enthusiasts and community networking activists from across the globe have come together for a tournament of a social nature:  "Wireless Battle of the Mesh"

The New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute joined numerous public interest groups in submitting comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with regard to prison phone rates. Read the full text of the comments (pdf) here.