TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA FORUM
Washington, DC
Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 December 2009
Beyond Recession – Visions for Broadband
Communications Post 2010
Against a background of economic crisis governments are intent on developing broadband as an enabler and aid to combat recession, as well as to serve more general economic, social and political goals. At the same time new technologies promise to shake up both telecoms and content sectors, colliding with old regulatory and business models. Drawing on developments in the United States, Canada and Europe, this year’s Washington, DC IIC Telecommunications and Media Forum will examine what a post-recessionary world might mean for businesses and policy makers in terms of broadband infrastructure and services, mobile wireless markets, and online video and TV content.
The Forum is an annual event of the International Institute of Communications. Its meetings are restricted to members and guests. The emphasis is on discussion between participants and free and frank exchanges of views. This means that a considerable amount of time is dedicated to debate, and discussions are confidential. For further information see www.iicom.org.
Kindly hosted by Verizon Communications
1300 I Street, NW, 4th floor (West Tower) Washington, DC 20005
PROGRAMME OUTLINE
TUESDAY 1 DECEMBER 2009
MORNING
SESSION ONE
Communications infrastructure and services – where are we heading?
- What will the communications market look like post 2010? Implications of current trends in voice, wireless and internet usage? What new or disruptive technologies and applications are on the horizon and what will be their likely impact? What will be the fall-out from the economic crisis?
- Broadband penetration – how is it best measured? What do current US and international studies tell us about availability, speed and usage?
- What are the broad implications of current trends and likely future developments for regulation and competition policy?
AFTERNOON
SESSION TWO
US and other government intervention in the broadband market – Approaches, implementation and impacts
- What is the impetus behind national broadband plans and their goals? What do they consist of and how are they likely to play out? Can anything be learnt from the approach being taken in other countries?
- What do broadband stimulus packages contain, are they up to the task and how are they being implemented? Do they reflect current market trends, for example in relation to mobile wireless?
- What will be the long-term effects or unexpected consequences on the market of government actions – will market-led initiatives be deterred or enhanced? Just how far and where can governments afford to intervene? What other forms of public intervention have been effective at simulating private investment in broadband?
- What regulatory and competitive issues do government broadband initiatives raise? What is the implication for basic service obligations and how to define these obligations in a broadband world? What action may be required in relation to access to next-generation infrastructure?
EARLY EVENING dinner at Zaytinya, 701 9th St, NW, Washington, DC 20001, kindly sponsored by Squire, Sanders & Dempsey
WEDNESDAY 2 DECEMBER 2009
MORNING
SESSION THREE
The future for mobile wireless
- What is driving the mobile wireless market and where is it going? To what extent does mobile broadband have different users, features, content and applications from fixed platforms?
- With the explosion in smartphones and 4G on the horizon what will the impact be on current businesses? What new content and applications, business models and patterns of consumption will emerge? Will mobile wireless become the ‘third pipe’, used for voice, full motion video or the ‘Internet of Things’?
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Will fixed wireless and mobile broadband internet services require more spectrum capacity? If so, how will it be made available and what are the consequences for market consolidation and competition? How can spectrum policy facilitate the creation of new broadband opportunities?
- Implications of new mobile wireless applications and services, and of handset and application exclusivity deals for regulation and public policy? Is there still sufficient competition in the mobile wireless market? Should mobile wireless be moved more to the centre point of regulation?
AFTERNOON
SESSION FOUR
The migration of video and TV to the internet – funding and accessing content in a multi-screen world
- What prospects for online video and TV services given the lack of profitability so far of current ad-based business models? Are subscription-based or hybrid business models the answer, or will the winning models indeed be financed by advertising?
- Given the negative impact of reduced advertising revenues and audience fragmentation on traditional content production and distribution businesses, is there a need to consider new ways of funding ‘high quality’ or originated content? Is use of ‘advanced advertising’ an option or are other market, technology and regulatory mechanisms available?
- What are the implications of withholding access to premium content for infrastructure competition and for investment in content? Should current broadcasting regulations on access to premium content be applied to broadband?
© International Institute of Communications 2009 |
