Pervasive Connectivity: Open Airwaves, Open Networks Event.

Sascha Meinrath has pointed out that a cool and free (now there is a good mixture) event will be taking place on the 21st October at the Googleplex.

The event has the title "Pervasive Connectivity: Open Airwaves, Open Networks". Sascha will be speaking at eComm 2009 as well Michael Calabrese.

Note you must RSVP by the 17th, so act quick! Details sent in are below.

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Pervasive Connectivity: Open Airwaves, Open Networks
       Tuesday, October 21, 2008
       10:00 - 1:30 p.m.

       Lunch will be provided.

       Google, Building 43, Tunis Room
       1600 Amphitheater Parkway
       Mountain View, CA
       (Directions: www.newamerica.net/files/google_driving_directions.pdf)

       RSVP online at: www.newamerica.net/events/2008/pervasive_connectivity

       As Internet access moves increasingly to mobile platforms,
       control over access to the public airwaves will determine
       whether wireless broadband networks are closed, costly and
       channelized - or open, affordable and innovative.  The
       conventional wisdom in Washington is that spectrum is scarce and
       must be auctioned as exclusive licenses. The reality is emerging
       technologies and business models that allow shared,
       opportunistic and unlicensed access to an abundance of bandwidth
       for all.

       This forum will review the technologies and policy debates at
       the center of this battle over the airwaves. The FCC will decide
       this fall whether to open the vacant TV channels in each market
       for shared, unlicensed use. But there is far more unused "white
       space" across the spectrum that can be unlocked with 'smart'
       radios and smarter policies.  Among the benefits of open
       spectrum is more open networks - as well as facilitating a
       movement toward community networking that can greatly narrow
       digital divides in rural and disadvantaged areas.

AGENDA

9:30 am - Registration

10:00 am - Welcome

10:15 am - Open Airwaves: Technologies & Policies for Opportunistic Spectrum Sharing

       Michael Calabrese
       Director, Wireless Future Program, New America Foundation

       Paul Kolodzy
       Kolodzy Consulting, Former Chair, FCC Spectrum Policy Task Force

       Mark McHenry
       CEO and Founder, Shared Spectrum Co.

11:00 am - Open Networks: Technologies & Policies for Consumer Choice and Innovation

       Tim Wu
       Professor, Columbia Law School & Chairman, Free Press

       Larry Alder
       Product Manager, Google

       Sascha Meinrath
       Research Director, Wireless Future Program, New America Foundation

11:45 am - Community Networking: Digital Inclusion, Unwired

       Rey Ramsey
       CEO & Co-Founder, One Economy Corp

       Mark Ansboury
       SVP & Chief Technology Officer, OneCommunity

       Sascha Meinrath
       Research Director, Wireless Future Program, New America Foundation

12:30 pm - Implications for 2009 Policy Agenda

       Andrew Jay Schwartzman
       President & CEO, Media Access Project

12:45 pm - Lunch & Tech Demo in No Name Café

       This policy forum is co-sponsored by Google and the New America
       Foundation/Wireless Future Program.

       All RSVPs for this must be received by October 17:
       http://www.newamerica.net/events/2008/pervasive_connectivity

       For questions, contact Liz Wu at (202) 986-2700 x 315 or
       wu@newamerica.net