It is the meta or the back story that is sometimes as interesting as the story. In my recent interview with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, the back story is how approachable he continues to be, even in his new high-pressure and high-profile role. Devoid of handlers, we had an engaging and impromptu conversation that ranged from the digital divide to parenting. What impressed me most is his humility and willingness to listen, which will serve him well as he navigates the challenges of guiding a regulatory agency in the rough seas of technology change.
Digital Opportunity as the End Goal
Digital opportunity is the end goal, says FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.¹ In the above interview, Pai states, “Broadband is not a Republican issue, it is not a Democratic issue; it is an American issue.” He explains that providing digital opportunity requires that Internet is available to all who want it.
Privacy Rules
In the soundbite era of social media, it is easy to overlook the nuances of a given policy. Tom Cohen of Kelley Drye provides his seasoned perspective on the recent vote by Congress to overturn the December 2016 FCC rules governing customer privacy by broadband ISPs. As he points out, these rules were an extension of the FCC’s reclassification of ISPs as Title II carriers (e.g. the same rules that defined telephone companies).
The Power and Force of Today – 2017 MTA Annual Convention
MTA’s president and CEO, Brent Christensen provides a preview of the 2017 MTA Annual Convention. He hints at some of the changes on the exhibit floor, that include some changes to drive even more traffic to the floor and it has resulted in more sponsors than ever and new exhibitors. He explains that the trade show floor is a good education tool for legislators who are rural telecom neophytes.
UHD Isn’t Just More Pixels, It’s Better Pixels
Ultra HD is more than just 4 times the resolution, as it also offers the opportunity for greater color depth, so explains Steven Corda, Vice President of Business Development North America for SES. Providing a bit of a pre-NAB Show tutorial at the 2017 ACA Summit, Corda explains some of the things, beyond an increase in pixels, that make 4k video stand out compared to traditional, high-definition 1080 or 720 resolution video. One of his tips may one day help ViodiTV produce video that would rival the BBC or NHK (okay, that may be a stretch).
The Human-Machine Vehicle Interface – Don’t Forget the Human
Long before Elon Musk’s recent announcement about his brain-machine start-up, Neuralink, Michael Robinson was pondering these things in his autonomous car design with the Lancia Design Center in the late 1990s. And, as depicted in the above infographic, it is the human-machine interface that will play a big role in the acceptance of autonomous vehicles.
Some Tweets and Short Thoughts:
- Thanks @Wordfence for creating this tool to determine whether one’s home router (think TR-069) is vulnerable to being an attack bot.
- Spread the word, “Chrome and Firefox Phishing Attack Uses Domains Identical to Known Safe Sites” Thanks @Wordfence.
- Congratulations to all nominated to the FCC Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee. In a sense, this appears like it could be a way for Chairman Pai to extend his listening tour, referenced in his ViodiTV interview.
- “Telcos are cable operators, at least at the fiber and software layers. Jeff Finkelstein @CoxComm@ shares how.” It was fun to be part of this video; HERD, sort of a CORD variation.
A Packet Approach to Transportation & More
Near-empty buses, low-frequency service and the resulting poor fare recovery are the hallmarks of too many public transportation systems. Using a combination of smaller, electrified vehicles with built-in autonomy, next future transportation, Inc. has a plan to disrupt public transportation by greatly increasing efficiency. Emmanuele Spera, CEO of next future transportation, inc. explains that by reducing the upfront capital costs and ongoing operating expenses, along with improving utilization, the market for shared rides will open to individual and private ownership.
Although this the packet-based form of transportation Spera is promoting may sound like science fiction, the technology underpinnings are in place. Bolstering next future transportation’s future is their recent agreement with the Roads and Transport Authority of the government of Dubai, which is another step from concept and prototype to production.
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