WASHINGTON, June 21, 2018 - The United States Supreme Court on Thursday dealt a blow to the online retail industry by overturning a 26-year-old ruling, Quill v. North Dakota, which had prohibited states from forcing mail-order retailers to collect sales tax from customers in states where they lacked a physical presence. The 5-4 ruling on Thursday, in South… Keep Reading
BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Blockchain is beginning to be recognized as much more than simply the technology powering Bitcoin. As this understanding seeps into the popular consciousness, policy-makers will begin to recognize how significant this innovation is for distributed computing and automating processes - financial, transactional, logistical and legal. Shane Tews at AEI Ideas delves into… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, June 4, 2018 - If the tenor of a Thursday event at the CATO Institute is any indication, Facebook continues to face tough scrutiny from many sides in Washington. Although the event was titled, “Will Social Media Save Democracy?”, the panel instead became a multi-pronged attack on the company framed around a more negative… Keep Reading
BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: I watched this video of Google CEO Sundar Pichai demonstrating Google Assistant, and I also was impressed. While I agree that there are some real social engineering issues raised by the assistant, I'm not sure that "disclosure" requirement called for by some of the technology's critics really meet the mark. Is there… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, May 8, 2018 -- The White House on Tuesday announced it would hold an Artificial Intelligence summit, which will "bring together over 100 senior government officials, technical experts from top academic institutions, heads of industrial research labs, and American business leaders who are now adopting these emerging technologies to benefit their customers, workers, and… Keep Reading
BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Think of all that has transpired over the past century and a half! Remembering Alexander Graham Bell, from Commscope On March 7, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for his revolutionary new device—the telephone. Since then, telephony has evolved in ways even this great thinker could not have imagined. After connecting the world… Keep Reading
BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: A good attempt to "decode" the furor surrounding Facebook's artificial intelligence experiment, and all of those chattering robots. Scare stories aside, the opportunity for machine intelligence and human intelligence to complement each other is truly remarkable. The 'creepy Facebook AI' story that captivated the media | Facebook has been experimenting with AIs that… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, June 22, 2017 — President Donald Trump on Thursday told reporters his administration is focused on eliminating regulations that could hinder investment and growth in the technology sector. "My administration has been laser focused on removing the government barriers to job growth and prosperity,” Trump said during the White House’s American Leadership in Emerging… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, June 21, 2017 — The White House on Thursday plans to continue its “tech week” by hosting a group of 25 technology company founders and CEOs to meet with Trump Administration officials on new technologies and promoting economic progress, Deputy Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios said on Wednesday. “Tomorrow I’m very excited for [the… Keep Reading
Editor’s Note: This past week, Drew Clark’s column in the Deseret News of Salt Lake City, Utah, was on the "The zeitgeist of modern Provo: Jobs and a good quality of life." Click here for links to all of his Deseret News columns.
PROVO — What do you get when you cross a thriving technology and startup community with what Gallup called "the best place to live in America"?
That's the zeitgeist here in Utah County. It'll be celebrated with a new technology, business and cultural event here, dubbed Startfest, beginning on Monday, Aug. 31.
And because of the still-coalescing cultural power of information and communications technologies, Utah as a whole is sending a message to the world: Citizens of a particular city or region are no longer necessarily forced to choose between quality of life and economic opportunity.
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October 17, 2014 - Fiber-optic communication is increasingly being recognized as a new necessity of urban life, with momentum for cities to obtain Gigabit Networks enabled by fiber is growing every week. On Monday, October 20, a new group of cities -- called Next Century Cities -- launches a "city-to-city collaboration that supports community leaders… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, July 9, 2014 - The internet is the First Amendment issue of our time, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn, said at a Tuesday panel discussion hosted by the non-profit advocacy group Free Press. He chastised opponents of net neutrality for not understanding that without it, "deep-pocketed corporations can pay to get their content to you… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, May 16, 2014 – In a Federal Commissions Commission meeting tinged with protest, the agency voted Thursday to begin a process to re-established certain network neutrality rules after they had been struck down by a federal appeals court in January. On a 3-2 vote, the agency’s three Democrats kicked off a proceeding seeking public input on how to find a solution protecting and promote the open flow of information on the internet that will pass legal scrutiny. Chairman Tom Wheeler retained the support of Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn – even though Rosenworcel said she only “concurred” with the proposal. [...] Keep Reading
PARK CITY, Utah, January 23, 2014 - On the internet, no one knows you're a child.
That, at least, was the message I took from watching the film about the life of Aaron Swartz. The film, "The Internet's Own Boy," premiered this week here at the Sundance Film Festival, during which it received a sustained standing ovation.
The documentary is a biography of, and tribute to, the all-too-short life of Swartz, who died a year ago this month, at age 26.
Swartz had been under intense pressure from the federal prosecutors in Massachusetts. Criminal charges filed against him, if proven, could have imprisoned him for 35 years. Those charges stemmed from Swartz's having downloaded millions of articles from JSTOR, a digital library of academic journals, onto a computer at the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While it is unclear what Swartz intended to do with the articles, it seems implausible that he would have republished them in an act of copyright infringement.
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LAS VEGAS, January 8, 2014 - Coming to the International Consumer Electronics Show year after year enables a technology observer to see the evolutionary power continuously wrought by the digital revolution.
Herewith follows Broadband Breakfast's impressionistic list of five top trends emerging from the mammoth trade show here.
As the trade show isn't even half-over, we're not aiming for definitiveness with this list. Rather, we aim to glimpse the future of technology in a context that changes with the start of every year.
LAS VEGAS, January 7, 2014 - Just six months on the job, the new CEO of Silicon Valley computing giant Intel came to the International Consumer Electronics Show here to hail the power of tiny.
"Most of my career, computing has been something that you hold in your hand, in your pocket, or that sits on a desk," said CEO Brian Krzanich. "That idea is about to be transformed."
"We are entering this tiny world," he said, referring to the Intel Tri-Gate three-dimensional 22 nanometer transistor, and "tiny could not be better." Future advances toward 14 nanometer transistors are in the works, he said.
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Monday, October 28, 2013 - Drew Clark, Chairman and Publisher of BroadbandBreakfast.com, will lead a panel discussion at the Broadband Communities Conference next week on the role of fiber developments in fostering economic growth. The Economic Development Conference Series will be held in Tinley Park, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago) from Tuesday, November 5, through… Keep Reading
Washington, Wednesday, June 12th, 2013 - BroadbandBreakfast.com will hold its June 2013 Broadband Breakfast Club event: "Advanced Energy, Smart Grid and Fiber to the Home: Using Advanced Energy to Jumpstart Fiber Builds" on Tuesday, June 18th, 2013 at Clyde's of Gallery Place, 707 7th St. NW, Washington, DC 20001 from 8 am - 10 am.… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, May 24, 2013 – Emphasizing the developing nature of broadband networks in the United States, speakers at the May 21 Broadband Breakfast Club event said that the recent achievement of ultra-high speed broadband networks has been a critical factor seeding transformative developments for organizations, individuals and communities. These developments, panelists said, were simply not… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, May 3, 2013 - It's springtime across the country, the flowers are blooming, and Gigabit fever must be in the air. Within the past month, several major companies and communities have announced plans for Gigabit-level deployments within their communities. Several major conferences have featured the Gigabit theme, including the Schools, Health and Library Broadband… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, Thursday March 14th, 2013 – The broadband policy news and events service BroadbandBreakfast.com will hold its March 2013 Broadband Breakfast Club event: “Smart Cars, the Consumer Experience and Broadband” on Tuesday, March 19th, 2013 at Clyde’s of Gallery Place, 707 7th St. NW, Washington, DC 20001 from 8 am – 10 am. Details and Registration are… Keep Reading
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, February 4, 2013 – A few weekends ago, I spent some time with about 80 robots and their 800 masters, the elementary and middle-school students who participate in state-wide FIRST Lego League competition. It was exhilarating to see these bots move, as they circulated for two-and-a-half minutes in a series of challenge matches.… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, January 29, 2013 - For Max Brown, founding partner and owner of Washington’s Chinatown Coffee Company, small business owners need to embrace the benefits that technology brings. In the two years that Chinatown Coffee has used the app called “Square,” Brown has seen his credit card charge costs drop by about 50 percent. That… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, January 13, 2013 - Starting the New Year off by attending the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas provides a wonderful lens with which to focus on the year ahead in technology. Today, broadband is the driver for almost all of today's digital technologies. Of the hundreds of examples of digital technologies that I… Keep Reading
LAS VEGAS, January 8, 2013 - One year after Consumer Electronics Association President Gary Shapiro opened his technology trade show with a war cry against the entertainment industry, Shapiro this morning touted "two industries working together to solve problems" of sharing digital content. In his welcoming remarks at the launch of the Consumer Electronics Show… Keep Reading
LAS VEGAS, January 7, 2013 - An intellectual property licensing company that designs the chipsets for mobile devices -- and barely offer a consumer-facing brand -- took center stage here at the opening keynote of the Consumer Electronics Show tonight. Paul Jacobs, Chairman and CEO of the San Diego based Qualcomm, opened up the premiere… Keep Reading
LAS VEGAS, January 7, 2013 - Every year, the Consumer Electronics Show here is a veritable extravaganza of technology, high-value content, and broadband connections. Countless product announcements for this dynamic industry area are made here every year. It's also the place where digital business models and public policy questions intersect. Given the interest that our broadband… Keep Reading
By Stephen Bone October 5, 2012 - It has been fourteen years now, so the "i" has simply become a trademark, almost a cliché of itself, something to be parodied. Consequently, many have forgotten that the "i" in iMac, iTunes, iPod, iPhone, and iPad all stand for something, for the same thing — the "i"… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, June 19, 2012 -- Last Thursday President Obama announced the launch of a new initiative, “US Ignite” and signed an Executive Order reducing the cost and barriers to broadband build out and construction along federal roadways and properties. The Order aims to make construction 90 percent cheaper and more efficient. The Federal Government owns approximately… Keep Reading
April 2, 2012 – I admit to being taken in yesterday by Google’s April Fools prank – Gmail Tap. This priceless video promises to bring Morse code back for the smart phone era. Gmail Tap hit a powerful nerve: how to make smart phones more useful for the things we do besides talking on them.… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON January 17, 2012 – BroadbandBreakfast.com kicked off a new year of the Broadband Breakfast Club fresh off the heals of the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas with a Breakfast on “The Wired Home and Wired Policy” featuring the Presidents of four major technology and telecommunications trade associations and the Wireless Telecommunication Bureau Chief of… Keep Reading
Last year, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) recognized the role of technology in strengthening this country’s economy by investing 7.2 million in funding into technology and broadband adoption initiatives through the Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP). Through this funding the United States can build technology infrastructures and bring low-income residents online for the first time. However, technology in and of itself is not what is important. What is important is how people, families and communities use that technology to improve their lives. What will drive adoption and sustainability? Why will someone come online for the first time? What did we learn as an industry and society in bringing the first 100M on line that can help us in bringing the last 100M online? What is the real cost benefit analysis on people having access to information that directly impacts the way they manage their health, educate their children or plan for their financial future. I challenge all of us not to look at the cost of building these networks – but rather the cost of not building it. Keep Reading
The goal of connecting consumers with businesses has remained unchanged for thousands of years. But the manner in which that connection with customers is made evolves with technology, time and culture. Broadband-based e-Commerce is just the latest variation. To understand the challenges that businesses face in developing a more technologically savvy business and the benefits to those that are further along in the process, we surveyed 77 vendors in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, a historic tourist spot and favorite local attraction that attracts 10 million visitors annually. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON June 7, 2011- The California State Assembly passed a bill last week that would require online retailers such as Amazon to collect state sales taxes on all goods the site sells within the state. The bill is similar to those that a number of other states and the U.S. Congress are currently debating. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, May 24, 2011 - The Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law held a hearing Monday on a bill that would define limits on taxes for virtual goods and services on the Internet. The proposed legislation, known as the “Digital Goods and Services Tax Fairness Act of 2011” aims to “promote neutrality, simplicity, and fairness in the taxation of digital goods and digital services.” The legislation would restrict taxing authority to the jurisdiction of the customer's tax address. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON May 13, 2011 – The New America Foundation gathered key industry experts on Thursday to discuss whether satellite spectrum should be reclassified so that it can be used for the expansion of terrestrial mobile broadband. With the spectrum crunch that many experts anticipate, many industry experts are calling for the reclassification of the satellite spectrum to be used for the expansion of mobile broadband. Rather than wholly reclassify the spectrum, LightSquared uses their mobile satellite spectrum holdings to deploy a nationwide Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network with both terrestrial and satellite components. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON May 11, 2011 - Former Director of the Office of Policy & Strategic Planning of the Department of Commerce under President Clinton, Jonathan Sallet, presented a new way to look at the traditional value chain with respect to broadband Tuesday at a congressional briefing presented by the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation. Sallet presented the value chain not as a chain at all, but rather as a circle. Keep Reading
DALLAS, May 2, 2011 - A panel of private industry experts assembled last week to discuss the impact of broadband on rural economies and how to best incorporate it during Rural Telcon at Broadband Properties Magazine's 2011 summit. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON April 27, 2011 - James Pooley, Deputy Director General for Innovation and Technology at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), delivered the keynote address Tuesday at the sixth annual world intellectual property day forum, calling patents a "key driver for innovation". Keep Reading
PROVO, March 28, 2011 - Facebook founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) visited Provo, Utah, Friday to answer questions posted to the Brigham Young University Facebook page. Keep Reading