For CNET this morning, I have a long article reviewing the sad recent history of how local governments determine the quality of mobile services. As it turns out, the correlation is deeply negative. In places with the highest level of user complaints (San Francisco, Washington, D.C.), it turns out that endless delays or outright denials [...]
Larry Downes is a consultant and speaker on developing business
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Blog
Why U.S. v AT&T Should Worry Silicon Valley
September 1st, 2011
On Forbes this morning, I argue that the Department of Justice’s effort to block the AT&T/T-Mobile merger signals a dangerous turn in antitrust enforcement. While President Obama promised during his campaign to “reinvigorate” antitrust, few expected the agency would turn its attention with such laser-like precision on the technology sector, one of the few bright [...]
Five simple fixes for the Protect IP Act
August 17th, 2011
For CNET this morning, I offer five crucial corrections to the Protect IP Act, which was passed out of committee in the Senate back in May. Yesterday, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, co-chair of the Congressional Internet Caucus, told a Silicon Valley audience that the House was working on its own version and would introduce it in [...]
Net neutrality poisoning spectrum auctions
July 29th, 2011
On CNET this morning, I argue that delay in approving FCC authority for voluntary incentive auctions is largely the fault of last year’s embarrassing net neutrality rulemaking. While most of the public advocates and many of the industry participants have moved on to other proxy battles (which for most was all net neutrality ever was), [...]
My summer romance: the FCC’s wireless competition report
July 18th, 2011
I’m spending the summer curled up with a good book–or more precisely, a good 300 page printout of the FCC’s 15th Annual Mobile Wireless Competition Report. It’s massive collection of data makes compelling reading for the mobile industry geek, and the 100 or so charts and tables make the 3d special effects in “Green Lantern” [...]
FCC Mobile Competition Report Is One Green Light for AT&T/T-Mobile Deal
July 11th, 2011
BY LARRY DOWNES AND GEOFFREY A. MANNE The FCC published in June its annual report on the state of competition in the mobile services marketplace. Under ordinary circumstances, this 300-plus page tome would sit quietly on the shelf, since, like last year’s report, it ‘‘makes no formal finding as to whether there is, or is [...]
Supreme Court affirms First Amendment in Cyberspace
June 27th, 2011
John Perry Barlow famously said that in cyberspace, the First Amendment is just a local ordinance. That’s still true, of course, and worth remembering. But at least today there is good news in the shire. The local ordinance still applies with full force, if only locally. As I write in CNET this evening (see “Video [...]
Spectrum reform in our lifetime?
June 12th, 2011
Last week the Senate Commerce Committee passed–with deep bi-partisan support–the Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act. The bill, co-sponsored by Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller and Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison, is a comprehensive effort to resolve several long-standing stalemates and impending crises having to do with one of the most critical 21st century resources: [...]
Updates to the Media Page
June 7th, 2011
We’ve added about a dozen new posts to the Media Page on my website, reflecting a sampling of articles, media quotes, and radio appearances from the last few months. These include several pieces for CNET News.com and Forbes, as well as links to appearances on NPR’s “Science Friday” (debating Sen. Al Franken on privacy law) [...]
More on Protect IP Act – the Surprisngly Free Podcast
June 7th, 2011
I’m pleased to be the guest this week on Jerry Brito’s “Surprisingly Free” podcast for the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Jerry and I talk about enforcing copyright and trademark law online, and in particular the dangers of the recently-introduced Protect IP Act. Protect IP tries to solve the problem of foreign websites selling [...]