SourceWatch:Collaboration on national broadband policy

Current tasks

 * Collect the arguments: One of our first tasks is to collect the arguments made by activists on all sides of these issues so we know what information needs to be collected. Each of the articles listed below has a "arguments" section. Add links to any blog posts, press releases or op-eds you can find and then help out in summarizing the arguments.


 * Collect the data: Each of the articles listed below has sections that need to be filled out on the issues comprising a national broadband policy. Throw in some external links or go through the external links and find information to add to the articles.

General things to do

 * Read and add to the articles covering topics in this project (listed below).


 * Join the project by registering with the wiki and adding your name to the list below.


 * Questions or comments? Join the discussion by checking out the |discussion page. If you have a question, leave it there and someone should get back to you soon. You can also always email the managing editor at [[Image:conoremail.png]]

Articles in this project
These articles could benefit from additional information in order to inform important questions about broadband policy:


 * Broadband availability (penetration): How available is broadband in the U.S. and how do we compare with other countries? What are the benefits of increasing broadband penetration? How much does it cost? Would it be better for the private sector or the government to expand broadband? Should community broadband be protected?
 * Broadband data: There is little publicly available data on broadband penetration. Should this be changed? The Federal Communications Commission collects broadband data by ZIP code, but the FCC considers it proprietary. Would a government mandate or study program be effective?
 * Spectrum (wireless Internet): What should be done with the radio spectrum being vacated by the switch of television signals from digital to analog? Should it be reserved for broadband Internet? Should the spectrum be under control of the government or should it be auctioned off to the highest bidder? Should there be any strings attached to the sale of this spectrum?
 * Network neutrality policy: Should network neutrality be required? Are there any known violations of network neutrality already? What are the dangers of not having network neutrality?

Participants

 * Drew Clark, Center for Public Integrity Well Connected Project
 * Andrew MacRae, Center for Public Integrity Well Connected Project
 * Brendan McGarry, Center for Public Integrity Well Connected Project
 * Stokely Baksh, formerly with the the Center for Public Integrity's Well Connected Project, now at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
 * Sagecast (Tim Karr), FreePress
 * Conor Kenny, managing editor, Congresspedia
 * Art Brodsky, Public Knowledge.

Live sessions on OpenLeft.com and RedState.com
The live blogging sessions are over for now but here are the previous sessions:
 * OpenLeft: Tuesday, July 24th - Opening session
 * Sen. Durbin
 * OpenLeft: Wednesday, July 25th - Net neutrality and how the Web works
 * Sen. Durbin joined by Ben Scott of Free Press and Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center at 7PM EST
 * OpenLeft: Thursday, July 26th - Public Airwaves and infrastructure
 * Sen. Durbin joined by Harold Feld of the Media Access Project, Dr. Gerald Faulhaber of the University of Pennsylvania, and Sascha Meinrath of the New America Foundation. Starts at 7PM!
 * OpenLeft: Friday, July 27th - Building a universal system
 * Sen. Durbin joined by Paul Morris of UTOPIA, John Windhausen of Telepoly.com (having spent many years on the Hill), Jim Baller of the Baller Herbst Law Group, Waldo McMillan of One Economy, and Andrew McNeill of ConnectKentucky.
 * All national broadband posts on OpenLeft.
 * RedState: Tuesday, July 31st - What should we include in our national broadband strategy?

General research resources
These external resources may provide good information to be added to the articles:
 * SaveTheInternet.com's blog, the blog of the pro-network neutrality coalition.
 * FreePress, an organization working on media and telecom policy.
 * Public Knowledge, an organization working on copyright and digital knowledge policy.
 * Electronic Privacy Information Center, an organization working on emerging civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, the First Amendment, and constitutional values.
 * Media Access Project, a a "non-profit, public interest law firm which promotes the public's First Amendment right to hear and be heard on the electronic media of today and tomorrow."
 * The New America Foundation's Telecom and Technology website. New America is a non-profit, non-partisan policy institute that promotes "new voices and new ideas."
 * Open Internet Coalition, a coalition backed by Google comprised of both non-profits and for-profits.