Category Archives: Issues
Mike Montgomery: President Obama’s State of the Union Address Should Offer Hope for the New Economy
Today, speechwriters in the West Wing will put the finishing touches on President Obama’s State of the Union address. The State of the Union provides every President an unparalleled opportunity to showcase his policy priorities. And the opportunity is never more valuable than in an inaugural year, when it can set the tone for the next four. This year I hope the President speaks to the digital economy and, specifically, California’s burgeoning tech sector.
In my dream scenario, the President’s speech will sketch a blueprint for building a stronger future for America. To me that means focusing some policies on Silicon Valley and San Francisco, still the headquarters of the new economy, a fact that Washington seems to forget from time-to-time. Tech-friendly policy initiatives will directly benefit the new economy, California, and the U.S. Take these, for example:
Give the app economy a boost. As consumers and businesses use more and more data, California’s burgeoning app economy could use a digital infrastructure upgrade, which could be accomplished by moving to all-IP networks across the country. A new Brookings Institution book by Robert Litan and Hal Singer, The Need for Speed: A New Framework for Telecommunications Policy for the 21st Century, offers a potential roadmap for a regulatory re-think that could help expedite the delivery of broadband to consumers and keep the new economy humming. Meanwhile, the federal government, under President Obama’s leadership, needs to speed the reallocation of underutilized spectrum, the invisible radio waves over which our connected devices communicate. If our telecommunications infrastructure clogs up like our freeways at rush hour, either because of inadequate spectrum or insufficient private investment, then our app economy will suffer.
CALinnovates and California-Based Tech Groups Ask FCC to Speed Modernization of Nation’s Communications Networks
| For Immediate Release Wednesday, January 30, 2013 |
Contact: Mike Montgomery mike@calinnovates.org 415-494-8626 |
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CALinnovates to Host “Sticky WCIT: Is This the End of the Internet?”
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| CALinnovates to Host “Sticky WCIT: Is This the End of the Internet?” | ||||||
| Panel will discuss the upcoming global United Nations conference that will consider proposals threatening Internet freedom and Silicon Valley’s prosperity | ||||||
| PALO ALTO, Ca. – In December, the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) will be held in Dubai to consider international rules governing the Internet. At the conference, certain nations may advocate for International governance of Internet services and infrastructure that, if adopted, would result in international regulations that require compliance by member nations. On Tuesday, November 27, a distinguished panel of experts will convene at Stanford Law School for “Sticky WCIT: Is This the End of the Internet?” The panel will discuss the impact this global UN conference could have on innovative freedom that has been central to the Internet’s evolution, to economic gains for nations worldwide and to Silicon Valley’s prosperity.
For more information about the event, please visit the CALinnovates website: http://www.calinnovates.org/events/ |
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About CALinnovates CALinnovates serves as a bridge between the thriving and fast paced technology community based in California and the slower moving but equally important public policy community in Sacramento and Washington, DC.
CALinnovates’ members include C-level executives, political leaders, entrepreneurs, techies and the average Californian who is interested in keeping up with the latest gadgets and innovations. |
$14 Billion Additional Investment in Broadband Networks Means Big Things for Consumers and Innovators
| For Immediate Release Tuesday, November 13, 2012 |
Contact: Mike Montgomery mike@calinnovates.org 415-494-8626 |
$14 Billion Additional Investment in Broadband Networks Means Big Things for Consumers and Innovators
CALinnovates’ new infographic says evolving consumer behavior demands private sector investment to expand communications infrastructure and support tech innovation
SAN FRANCISCO – California’s economic recovery will be bolstered by a recent announcement that AT&T plans to invest an additional $14 billion to expand and enhance its wired and wireless Internet Protocol (IP) broadband networks. For Californians looking for expanded access to the benefits of the Internet, this development signals great optimism for the future of communications, according to CALinnovates, a San Francisco-based high-tech advocacy group.
According to their 3-year investment plan, 300 million people will be covered by AT&T 4G LTE by the end of 2014, and millions more will have access to next-generation wireline IP broadband networks. CALinnovates Executive Director Mike Montgomery stated, “Connecting virtually everyone in the U.S. with high-speed Internet is a long stride in the right direction toward meeting the goal of President Obama’s National Broadband Plan. And we know that high-speed Internet connections, both wired and wireless, create the kind of jobs we urgently need right now.”
“Consumers, entrepreneurs and people everywhere are clamoring for more connectivity and faster speeds. It takes this kind of multi-billion dollar private sector investment to give people the high-speed connections they want and need,” said Montgomery. “Investment is the linchpin to staying ahead of the massive growth in consumer demand for speed, data capacity and devices and apps that are now central to our lives.”
A new CALinnovates infographic on its website documents how consumers are driving the market that is revolutionizing communications and creating skyrocketing demand for new technology that can handle more data than ever before. In describing the infographic, Montgomery said, “Consumers today want to be connected everywhere in every way possible. But, we can’t take for granted the robust high-speed networks that are necessary to carry the innovations that are driving the economy and improving our lives. Those networks require mega investments to keep them growing and improving.”
“Continued investment to build the communications infrastructure of the future is what will keep the U.S. and Silicon Valley ahead of the innovation curve,” he said.
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