CTC Technology & Energy joined the New America Foundation and other public interest groups today in submitting comments and a technical report to the FCC in the Matter of Preserving the Open Internet.

The report, entitled “Any Device and Any Application on Wireless Networks: A Technical Strategy for Evolution,” was prepared by CTC at the request of the New America Foundation. It provides a technical overview and recommendations concerning the feasibility and implementation of the FCC’s proposed codification of open Internet principles as applied to commercial wireless networks.

The New America Foundation submitted the comments and report with CTC, Consumers Union, Media Access Project, and Public Knowledge.

CTC Technology & Energy President Joanne Hovis was a featured speaker today at a New America Foundation forum that explored the relationship between broadband and economic development.

Ms. Hovis was invited to the forum as an expert on broadband markets. She also represented the views of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA), of which she is president-elect.

The New America Foundation’s Open Technology Initiative sponsored the event, which sought to address issues raised by the development of the National Broadband Plan and the upcoming second round of broadband stimulus funding.

CTC President Joanne Hovis spoke today at the Federal Communications Commission’s broadband workshop in Washington, D.C. Representing the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA), Ms. Hovis spoke on a panel discussing “Future Fiber Architectures and Local Deployment Choices.”

The goal of the workshop series is to promote an open dialogue between the FCC and key constituents on matters important to the National Broadband Plan. Today’s workshop focused specifically on “post-100-megabit/s fiber and partial-fiber solutions for the middle mile, public institutions, small to medium enterprises and homes.”

The U.S. Broadband Coalition today released a report highlighting the crucial issues that must be addressed in a National Broadband Strategy, which the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is expected to complete by February 2010.

Blair Levin, the coordinator of the National Broadband Plan for the FCC, accepted the report at an event held at the FCC building in Washington, D.C.

CTC Technology & Energy President Joanne Hovis represented the interests of local governments on a panel presentation held to elaborate on the report’s findings. Ms. Hovis, who is a member of the board of directors and the incoming president-elect of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA), discussed the importance of broadband services to local government. She focused her discussion on the multiple roles that local governments have as users, providers, and consumer advocates, and she highlighted examples of municipal provision of broadband services around the country.

Dr. Andrew Afflerbach, CEO and Director of Engineering at CTC Technology & Energy, spoke today at the Federal Communications Commission’s broadband workshop on public safety and homeland security issues. Representing the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA), Dr. Afflerbach participated in a panel that addressed “how best to utilize broadband technologies to prepare for, respond to and recover from major natural disasters, pandemics, acts of terrorism, and cyber attacks,” as well as “how public safety networks and applications can be secured and protected.”

The goal of the workshop, convened in Washington, D.C., was to “bring together representatives from the public safety community, government agencies, industry, and academia to discuss interoperability, redundancy, cyber security, 911, and pandemic response, among other issues.” The workshop series as a whole is designed to promote an open dialogue between the FCC and key constituents on matters important to the National Broadband Plan.

CTC Technology & Energy client OneMaryland, a consortium of 11 jurisdictions collaborating on a federal braodband grant application, was highlighted today in the Washington Post. The article, “Md. Jurisdictions Seek Funds for Broadband Boost: $100 Million Requested From Stimulus Pool,” outlined the broadband project that has united Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties with six other counties and two cities.

If funded, the proposed network “would upgrade Internet service and connect 866 schools, libraries, senior centers, 911 centers, hospitals, fire stations and government buildings.”

A Businessweek article published today explores the ways that the current federal broadband grant program’s rules exclude urban areas. “Broadband Stimulus and the Underserved” explains that, “as written, the rules governing the grants are stacked against cities like San Francisco, even though urban areas are among the places least reached by broadband and most in need of efforts like the one under way.”

The article also quotes Joanne Hovis, president of CTC Technology & Energy and a member of the board of directors of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA). “’It’s hard to see how any urban area can qualify for a grant, and that is unfortunate because the most serious needs for broadband access are in urban areas,’ Hovis says. ‘Some neighborhoods may indeed be served by commercial operators, but that doesn’t mean the service is affordable.’”

CTC Technology & Energy President Joanne Hovis discussed the benefits of high-speed broadband as a panelist at the Media Access Project (MAP) policy forum, “Broadband Stimulus and the National Broadband Plan: What They Mean for Communications, Technology, and Innovation.”

Sharing the platform with Thomas Kalil from the White House Office of Science and Technology, among others, Ms. Hovis addressed a range of issues, including the importance of including community anchor institutions in the development of community-based broadband networks.

CTC Technology & Energy and the New America Foundation jointly published a memorandum providing analysis, strategic guidance, policy concerns, and recommendations with regard to the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

The memorandum was released in response to the Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) issued for the first round of BTOP funding by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on July 1.

The memorandum included:

1. A summary of the latest developments in the BTOP and how they will impact many would-be applicants;

2. Strategic recommendations for activities to undertake to maximize the chances of being funded;

3. Precautionary and protective steps to take during the application preparation process;

4. Discussion of policy concerns about how the BTOP is being implemented and why it does not, in many ways, live up to the promise established by the ARRA; and,

5. Policy recommendations for incremental, strategic changes by NTIA that could improve the program as implemented.

CTC Technology & Energy President Joanne Hovis testified before the House Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law regarding nationwide wireless broadband deployment issues . Ms. Hovis’ testimony, which was presented on behalf of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA), the National Association of Counties (NACo), the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM), and the National League of Cities (NLC)., concerned H.R. 1521, the Cell Tax Fairness Act of 2009.

Ms. Hovis framed her testimony by stating, “I am here to correct some of the misinformation and misunderstandings surrounding the role that wireless providers have in providing broadband services and ensuing deployment to all areas of our country.” She went on to explain that while broadband access is incredibly important to the nation’s future, providing preferential tax treatment to the wireless industry would do little or nothing to promote network deployment.