Tim Karr has an excellent analysis of what we can look forward to the technological and policy battles we can look forward to in 2008. A lot of these areas directly intersect with the work I do at the New America Foundation and Tim's done a fantastic job of laying them out in an accessible way. Lots of links to background information and further reading:

Setting the Stage for a People-Powered Web in 2008

Posted January 4, 2008 | 09:19 AM (EST)

In the dimming days of 2007, we bared the Telcos' ugly side for all to see. Powerful communications companies including AT&T, Verizon and Comcast brought us a year of privacy invasions, threats to free speech and the deceptive blocking of Internet applications and access.

But all is not bleak. The year saw a number of prospects for getting high-speed Internet access and open communications to more Americans. But protecting a free-flowing Internet from these would-be gatekeepers depends largely on decisions we will make in 2008.

Below you'll find ten hopeful moments from 2007. Each in its own way has set the stage for the year ahead:

Read more...

Here's a great clip from my good friend Ben Scott, Policy Director of Free Press:

Ben explains in 5 minutes why the AT&T/iPhone exclusive contract is bad for consumers, innovation, and the general public.

Here's the latest in the ongoing battle for public access to the public airwaves. I'm extremely happy to report that several organizations I work with (CUWiN, Freenetworks.org, Acorn Active Media Foundation) were all a part of this coalition:

In response to the decision of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that Logan Airport (operated by Massport) cannot prevent Continental Airlines from operating an independent "wifi" system for the benefit of Continental customers, Media Access Project Senior Vice President Harold Feld had the following statement:

"Today's decision goes well beyond free wifi in airports. It provides a powerful affirmation to the community wireless movement in the United States by protecting the rights of users to operate wifi access points and other unlicensed devices whether or not a landlord has an exclusive arrangement with a provider."

"Just last week, the City of Boston moved ahead with a project to provide wireless access points in the Roxbury neighborhood. The City is meeting with community groups to discuss how to extend this wireless access into the apartments of neighborhood residents that cannot afford cable or DSL broadband subscriptions. Had the FCC decided for Massport, the landlords of these apartments could have blocked users from accessing the free or low-cost service the City of Boston will provide. But because the FCC has protected the freedom of tenants to use the wireless equipment and the wireless provider of their choice, the City of Boston and community groups can continue to develop plans to bridge the digital divide with cheap, unlicensed wireless networks."

The case is In re Continental Airlines, ET Docket No. 05-247. Media Access Project, a non-profit public interest law firm, represented the following parties in the case: Masspirg, U.S. PIRG, The New America Foundation, Champaign Urbana Community Wireless Network (CUWiN), The National Hispanic Media Coalition, Hawaii Consumers, Freenetworks.org, Acorn Active Media, Marcus Spectrum Solutions, and Free Press.

A copy of the decision can be found here.

Press Contact: here.

From Gordon Cook:

Bravo Holland: Parliament Unanimously Mandates Open Access Networks

October 24th, 2006 by Gordon Cook

Talking with a friend in Europe just now who said that I had missed
something critical (along with Reuters and AP).

Both motions passed parliament unanimously. Including the second one. The second has huge potential significance - according to my friend the parliament has mandated that all telecom networks in the Netherlands be open access.

for more see:

http://gordoncook.net/wp/?p=78

http://gordoncook.net/wp/?p=77

http://gordoncook.net/wp/?p=75