White Spaces Hearing (webcast)

or view YouTube Playlist




Full audio:

download



Gale A. Brewer - introduction

Panel 1
Mary Landolfi - Pres. American Federation of Musicians Local 802
Ira Mont - VP Actors Equity Association
Laurie Baskin - Director of Government & Education Programs. Theatre Communications Group
Heidi Mathis - Corporate Relations Manager at The Shubert Organization / Broadway League

Panel 2
Stuart Overby - Senior Director, Global Spectrum Strategy. Motorola, Inc
Marc Berejka - Sr. Director, State Affairs & Public Policy, Microsoft Corp.

Panel 3
Thomas J. Hillgardner - General Counsel For The Association Of Cable Access Producers
David L. Donovan - President, Association For Maximum Service Television, Inc.
Mark Brunner - Senior Director Of Global Public Relations For Shure Inc
James Smith - Producer, Manhattan Neighborhood Network

Panel 4
Joshua Breitbart - Policy Director, People's Production House
http://peoplesproductionhouse.org/dei/whitespacestestimony092908
Dana Spiegel - Executive Director, NYCwireless
Timothy Karr - Campaign Director, Free Press
Chris Keeley - Associate Director, Common Cause/NY

Panel 5
Gracey Stoddard - representing Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney
John V. Weaver - CEO/President, Liberty Imaging LLC

Panel 6
Michael Lewis - Founder, Wireless Harlem
Dharma Dailey - Director of Research, The Ethos Group

Read more!

Why Broadband Matters (video)

Here is video of the US Senate Commerce Committee's hearing 'Why Broadband Matters' held on Sep 16 2008.



Download iPod version

Witnesses

Opening Remarks

Panel 1

Mr. Rey Ramsey [testimony]
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
One Economy Corporation

Mr. Larry Cohen
President
Communications Workers of America

Mr. Jonathan Linkous
Executive Director
American Telemedicine Association

Dr. Mara Mayor
Board Member
AARP

Ms. Margaret Conroy
Missouri State Librarian

Mr. Gene Peltola
President and CEO
Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation

Read more!

TECH COMMITTEE HOLDS WHITE SPACES HEARING

Council Requests FCC to Slow Digital Switchover



City Hall - On Monday, September 29th at 10:00 AM, Council Member Gale A. Brewer (D-Manhattan), Chair of the Technology in Government Committee, will hold a hearing regarding the FCC’s plans to shutdown the analog frequency in 2009, which will create a huge “white space.”

White spaces, freed radio frequencies due to technological change or unused portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, are opening up opportunities to greater internet access to consumers since the waves can penetrate through walls and travel long distances. The expected digital switchover from analog television broadcasts in February 2009 will open up a large chunk of the U.S. analog frequency for short-range networking.

Current television companies and wireless device users are concerned about the switchover, since they are still using equipment on the analog frequency of 54 MHz to 698 MHz: many wireless microphones use the 600-700 MHz. The cessation from the analogs and the interference of the white space technologies (currently being produced by major technology firms, like Microsoft and Dell) prevent many wireless microphones from working, which are heavily used in major institutions and theatres [e.g., Broadway, Lincoln Center]. Moreover, it is possible that the new white spaces gadgets can interfere with television and other wireless signals on the former frequencies.

Speaker Christine Quinn and Council Member Gale A. Brewer are sponsoring a resolution asking the Federal Communications Commission [FCC] not to promulgate rules until the incumbent analog frequency devices and systems, as well as unlicensed wireless devices, are functioning properly.

The Council Technology in Government Committee will hold the hearing regarding the white spaces on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 10 AM in the Committee Room of City Hall, New York. This is a public meeting and all are welcome to attend.

For further information or to sign up to speak, Samuel Wong, Legislative Aide on Technology, (212) 788-6975/(646) 648 2179 or samwong.529@gmail.com. You can also contact Shula Warren, Chief of Staff, at (212) 788-6975/(347) 668 9576 or swarren@council.nyc.gov.

In addition, on Friday, September 19, 2008 at 10 AM, the Council Technology in Government Committee is holding a hearing on Intro. 54, requiring DoITT to produce an annual technology strategy and that the mayoral agencies submit annual technology plans to DoITT for publication as an addendum to the department’s annual technology strategy. The location is in the Committee Room, City Hall, New York. For further information or to sign up to speak, please contact the staff members mentioned above.

Read more!