[Air-L] CFP Experts' Workshop "Broadband Research in a Changing World" Sept. 10, 2017

[Richard Denny Taylor]

Colleagues,

 

Kindly note this announcement of a CFP for an invitation-only Experts'
Workshop on the topic of "Broadband Research in A Changing World," on
Sept. 10, 2017 (following the TPRC conference) at American University in
Washington, D.C.  Proposals are due by July 15, 2017.   Thank you!

 

Richard

 

 

PENN STATE  INSTITUTE FOR INFORMATION POLICY

 

Broadband Research in a Changing World: 

New Technologies, Ideologies and Priorities

 

A by-invitation experts' workshop to be held at

American University Washington College of Law, 

Washington DC, September 10, 2017

 

Broadband is now widely accepted as an essential infrastructure for the
information economy. Billions of dollars in private industry investments
supplemented by targeted universal access subsidies have now enabled 73
percent of American households to subscribe to broadband. Yet, some
communities and demographic groups have experienced gaps in access and
usage that have persisted over time and multiple generations of
technology. The diffusion of advanced broadband networks and services has
sometimes widened these gaps to the detriment of the economic
competitiveness, ability to access basic social and educational resources,
and democratic participation of individuals and communities. Consequently,
there is continuing need for both policy-makers and the academic research
community to stay engaged with questions of broadband access.

The Institute for Information Policy at Penn State (IIP), celebrating its
20th anniversary, and the Journal of Information Policy (JIP), now in its
7th year, are organizing a one-day workshop to present and discuss
research focusing on the challenges for achieving universal broadband
access that takes into account technological developments, social and
educational needs, and a dynamic political landscape. This workshop is the
15th in the IIP and JIP joint workshop series advancing an information
policy agenda (for previous workshops see:
<http://comm.psu.edu/research/centers/iip/conferences-and-worskhops>
http://comm.psu.edu/research/centers/iip/conferences-and-worskhops)

In June 2016, the IIP organized a two-day, interdisciplinary workshop at
the National Science Foundation (NSF) and submitted its report titled
<http://comm.psu.edu/assets/uploads/Broadband_2021.pdf> Broadband 2021.
Incorporating this, and other inputs, the NSF and the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) published the
<https://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/nationalbroadbandresearc
hagenda-jan2017.pdf> National Broadband Research Agenda (NBRA) Report in
January 2017. These initiatives, though they emerged from the prior
administration, are likely to have continued relevance especially now when
the current administration has announced that infrastructure investments,
including potentially in rural broadband networks, is a policy priority.

The workshop is a continuation of the NBRA process. Specifically, it is
intended to further key objectives of the NBRA Report, namely to encourage
policy and program impact evaluations and to foster increased
collaboration throughout the research community. At the same time, it is
geared to hear more voices and to encourage learning from academic,
industry and policy players worldwide. 

The workshop seeks to address broadband research at a meta-analytical
level ("research about doing research"). Papers may address (but are not
limited to) questions such as 

*	The status of research on broadband: Identifying un-investigated
and under-investigated questions;
*	The quality of databases and structural impediments to the
availability of data;
*	The viability and validity of methodological approaches;
*	Investigations of the policy processes behind broadband policy
including the role of advocacy networks, foundations, and academic think
tanks;
*	The appropriateness of metrics and benchmarks for the temporal and
cross-sectional evaluation of broadband access and performance;
*	"Broadband Access": To what? For whom? 
*	Should "broadband access" be a "human right"? An entitlement?
*	Should there be a right for access to and use of mobile broadband
services.  Will access to high-speed mobile broadband satisfy the
requirement for "access"?  
*	What is the role of the market in assuring universal broadband
access, vs. the role of the government?
*	What impact, if any, will new technologies such as the IoT, "Big
Data" and the "cloud" have on broadband research?
*	How can research on broadband support SMEs? Innovation?
Entrepreneurship? R&D? Reducing the size of government and the need for
government regulations?
*	How, if at all, should tax policies be changed to encourage
investments that will promote increased universal broadband access?
*	International comparative studies of broadband access and policies
for its development.

 

We refer you to the
<http://comm.psu.edu/assets/uploads/Broadband_2021.pdf> Broadband 2021 and
the
<https://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/nationalbroadbandresearc
hagenda-jan2017.pdf> National Broadband Research Agenda (NBRA) Reports for
other topics and research questions.

Presenters at the workshop will be invited to submit their completed
papers for review by the Journal of Information Policy (
<http://www.jip-online.org)> www.jip-online.org).

Pending budgetary approval, some travel support may be available for
junior scholars or those with significant travel expenses. We cannot
guarantee that this support will be available at this stage.

In addition to the presentation of papers, an integral part of the
workshop will be continuing and potentially institutionalizing the
academic networking initiated at IIP's June 2016 Broadband 2021 Workshop
and strategizing mechanisms for the dissemination of academic research to
government stakeholders. 

Abstracts of up to 500 words and a short bio of the author(s) should be
submitted to pennstateiip at psu.edu by July 15, 2017. Accepted presenters
will be notified by July 31, 2017 on the acceptance of their paper and
will need to commit to provide an advanced draft of their study by August
31, 2017, to allow selected respondents to read and prepare thoughtful
comments in order to elicit a meaningful conversation. Please write
IIP_BROADBAND2021: YOUR NAME in the subject line.