November 18 Meeting of New Monthly Forum Will Feature Kyle McSlarrow, CEO of National Cable and Telecommunications Association, and John Windhausen of Telepoly Consulting

Press Releases

WASHINGTON, October 15 – BroadbandCensus.com announced that its second Broadband Breakfast Club forum, to be held on Tuesday, November 18, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Old Ebbitt Grill, will address this question: “Should Government Funding Be Part of a National Broadband Plan?”

The breakfast forum, which is open to the public, will turn this informal discussion group to its core subject: helping to develop an informed consensus — or, failing that, an informed level of disagreement — around broadband policy questions.

Fresh from the election returns and the prospect of a new administration, this and future events of the Broadband Breakfast Club will consider core disputes around broadband policy: universal service, questions of bundling/unbundling, the role of broadband mapping and data, the wireless broadband pipe, and other topics. We very much want to encourage repeat attendance so as to elevate the quality of the discussion. See the complete list of future events at http://broadbandbreakfastclub.eventbrite.com.

The November 18 event will bring together several key stakeholders to debate a fundamental question looming behind many discussions of internet policy: Should Government Funding Be a Part of National Broadband Plan? Each of the three panelists has strong views about the desirability or undesirability of federal investment in broadband networks. The panel will consider the pros and cons of direct subsidization, indirect investment through federal tax credits, and whether there is a need for government intervention at all.

• Drew Clark, Executive Director, BroadbandCensus.com (Moderator)

• Kyle McSlarrow, President and CEO, National Cable and Telecommunications Association

McSlarrow on March 1, 2005, began his tenure as President & CEO of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), the primary trade association of the cable television industry in the United States. He  was appointed in 2007 to serve on the President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC). Prior to joining NCTA, McSlarrow served as the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, an agency with more than 100,000 federal and contractor employees, 17 national labs, and a budget of $23 billion.  In that role, he exercised policy and programmatic supervision over a diverse portfolio that included the nation’s nuclear weapons complex and non-proliferation programs. Prior to joining the Department of Energy, McSlarrow served as Vice President of Political and Government Affairs for Grassroots.com, rivately-held Internet company marketing web-based political tools and services.

• John Windhausen, Jr., Telepoly Consulting

Windhausen has worked in the communications policy arena in Washington, D.C. for over 20 years. He began his career as a staff attorney at the Federal Communications Commission in 1984. He moved to Capitol Hill in January, 1987, serving as counsel and then senior counsel to Senator Hollings, Senator Inouye, and the Democrats on the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee for 9 years. He participated actively in the drafting and passage of the 1992 Cable Act, the 1993 Spectrum Auction Act, and the Telecommunications Act of 1996. In June, 1996, he joined the Competition Policy Institute as General Counsel. In January, 1999, he became the President of the Association for Local Telecommunications Services (ALTS), where he led the facilities-based competitive local telecom industry in its efforts to provide consumers with a choice of local telecom providers. In October, 2004, he opened his own consulting practice, called Telepoly Consulting.

• Another panelist has been invited

Hosted by BroadbandCensus.com, the Broadband Breakfast Club is designed to bring key stakeholders together to share perspectives on broadband technology and internet policy. Except for holidays, the Broadband Breakfast Club will meet on the second Tuesday of each month.

A complete American and Continental Breakfast for registrants will be available beginning at 8:00 a.m., with the forum beginning at around 8:30 a.m. and concluding at 10 a.m. The charge for the event is $45.00, plus an Eventbrite registration fee. Seated attendance is limited to the first 45 individuals to register for the event, at http://broadbandbreakfast.eventbrite.com.

For more information about BroadbandCensus.com, or about the Broadband Breakfast Club at Old Ebbitt Grill at 675 15th Street NW, Washington, DC, please contact Drew Clark, Executive Director, BroadbandCensus.com, at 202-580-8196, or by e-mail: drew at broadbandcensus.com.