The Jeff Pulver Blog: Day 1 of F2C: Internet Innovators, Entrepreneurs and Enthusiasts Invade the Beltway

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April 03, 2006

Day 1 of F2C: Internet Innovators, Entrepreneurs and Enthusiasts Invade the Beltway

The pulver crew did some divide and conquer in North America today.

While most of the pulver crew engaged the Internet communications industry North of the Border at VON-Canada, Jonathan Askin co-hosted Day 1 of F2C: Freedom-to-Connect, an event designed to bring leading Internet thought-leaders and innovators to the Beltway to formulate ideas to help shape the legislative and regulatory policy debate currently waging in America, a debate that will likely affect the nature and future of the Internet for decades to come. Our attitude is that, if we do not engage legislators and regulators NOW, the rules will be written by those who do not necessary know or have the best interests of the would-be Internet innovators, entrepreneurs, and enthusiasts at heart.

Coming on the heels of the this week’s Congressional Hearings, Mark-ups, and release of new legislation, and just prior to mark-up of the Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act (“COPE”) Bill in the House, F2C proved to be more relevant and essential than ever, if we are to play a positive role in developing the best policy framework to govern the future of the Internet and communications.

F2C was apparently a great event by all accounts. It attracted a pretty remarkable assemblage of speakers and attendees. From FCC Comm’r Michael Copps' inspiring kick off of F2C to former FCC Chairman Michael Powell’s “fireside chat” with the F2C community, the attendees heard compelling insights from, perhaps, the decade’s two leading policymakers from both sides of the isle. From Prof. Tim Wu’s conception of the right regulatory structure to advance the Internet to Jim Crowe’s words of wisdom at the evening reception, the participants got a good cross-section of views from one of the emerging academic stars of tech policy and from the pioneer of communications competition. From key Hill staffers fighting over potential Communications Act rewrites to a slew of innovators, entrepreneurs and academics trying to make sense of the emerging policy trajectory, participants got a good glimpse of where the discussion will go over the next year. All in, F2C include an eclectic mix of innovators and thought-leaders interspersed throughout the day, and truly delved deeply into the subtle issues surrounding the evolution and future of Internet and communications policy.

The speaker line-up for Day 1 of F2C included the following:

• FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps
• Blair Levin, Managing Director, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated
• David Isenberg, Principal, Isen.com
• Tim Wu, Professor, Coumbia Law School
• Martin Geddes, Director, Telepocalypse
• Jeff Chester, Center for Digital Democracy
• Michael Calabrese, Vice President, New America Foundation
• Cynthia De Lorenzi, CEO, Patriot.net
• Dewayne Hendricks, CEO, Dandin Group
• Bruce Kushnick, Chairman, Teletruth
• Rick Ringel, Dir. of Engineering, Media Applications Grp., Inter-Tel
• Brad Templeton, Chairman, Electronic Frontier Foundation
• Brad Wurtz, President and CEO, Caspian Networks
• James Assey, Minority Counsel, Senate Commerce Committee
• Drew Clark, Senior Writer, National Journal
• Josh Lamel, Legislative Counsel, Office of Senator Ron Wyden
• Dana Lichtenberg, Legislative Asst., Office of Congressman Bart Gordon, U.S. House of Representatives
• Mike O'Rielly, Legislative Assistant to Sen. John Sununu (R-NH)
• Jonathan Askin, General Counsel, pulver.com
• Tom Evslin, President, Evslin Consulting
• Jim Kohlenberger, Executive Director, The VON Coalition
• Clegg Ivey, Vice President: Business Operations & Strategy, Voxeo Corporation
• Doc Searls, Senior Editor, Linux Journal
• David Weinberger, Fellow, Berkman Center for Internet & Society
• Jonathan Krim, Director of Strategic Initiatives, WashingtonPost.com
• Chairman Michael Powell, Former FCC Chairman
• James Q. Crowe, President & CEO, Level 3 Communications

Tomorrow, Rep. Rick Rick Boucher, who demonstrated last week that he will do what he can in Congress to advance the promise of the Internet, will kick-off the Summit before heading back to Congress to prepare for the House Mark-up of the COPE Bill, to begin at the end of the day. And, towards the end of Day 2, former FCC Chairman, Reed Hundt, will share his insights and lessons learned.

Tuesday’s line-up promises another exciting day with leading thought leaders including:

• Dave Hughes, CEO, OldColo.com
• Rick Boucher, Congressman, Democrat, Virginia
• Ed Felten, Professor of Computer Science and Public Affairs, Princeton University
• Jim Baller, Senior Principal, Baller Herbst Law Group
• Om Malik, Senior Writer, Business 2.0.
• Ron Sege, CEO, Tropos
• James Salter, CEO, Atlantic Engineering Group
• Esme Vos, Founder, Muniwireless.com
• Raymond Gifford, President, PFF
• Jeff Jarvis, Creative Director, Advance.net
• Gigi Sohn, President, Public Knowledge
• Reed Hundt, Principal, Charles Ross Partners
• Mark Cooper, Research Director, Consumer Federation of America
• Christopher Sacca, Principal, Business Development, Google

It is pretty clear that F2C could not have come at a more opportune moment. The House and Senate Hearings and Mark-ups this week and last verify that the Internet innovators, entrepreneurs and enthusiasts need to become a much more vocal force in the DC policy debate. With all the industry witnesses in Congress last week, it was remarkable that virtually no one spoke directly on behalf of the would-be Internet innovators and insatiable users. This was disturbing. As the House Energy and Commerce Committee marks-up the COPE Bill this week, we thought it was essential to harness the collective wisdom and energy of the Internet community. F2C seemed to work as a step in that direction. There is no doubt that we, as a community, need to redouble our efforts to ensure that the voice of the would-be Internet innovators, entrepreneurs and enthusiasts are truly heard and considered.

Now is the time for us -- those driving the communications and Internet revolution -- to participate in the dialogue within the Beltway. We cannot leave it to the powerful business interests (even those that currently have many overlapping concerns with us, but are ultimately motivated by their own bottom line). If we do not participate, the rules will be written by those who neither know our concerns nor have our best interests at heart.

After Day 2 of F2C, I suspect many participants will take what we’ve discussed to the halls of Congress. In particular, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will hear opening statements from Committee Members on the COPE at 5 pm on Tuesday, April 4, and continue with the COPE Bill mark-up on Wednesday, April 5. I trust a lot of F2C participants will make sure they are seen and heard in the corridors of Congress this week and as the debate continues during the weeks and months ahead. I feel the momentum building.

Again, we have to make sure that Congress hears our voices as it rewrites the rules that will shape the future of the Internet and communications. We have to become a force with which to be reckoned. To the extent that F2C has helped the Internet innovators to hone their voice and message, I think we are moving in the right direction. Let’s hope we are not too late.

***

And, the final lesson we reaffirmed today in our efforts in Toronto and DC? -- We still cannot replace the value of face-to-face meetings. The road to the virtual world is paved with A LOT of physical travel.

Tags: F2C