Closing the Digital Divide

Silicon Flatiron
University of Colorado
Thursday, September 17, 2015
1:00 - 6:30 PM
http://siliconflatirons.com/events.php?id=1608

This conference will exam the FCC's ongoing efforts to reform universal service and will compare that effort to the state of access to broadband (both wired and wireless) internationally. The first panel will examine the FCC's ongoing efforts to address, as FCC Chairman Wheeler put it, that less than 50% of Americans making less than $25,000 have service at home and that nearly 50% of low-income Americans have had to cancel or suspend smartphone service on financial grounds. The second panel will discuss the state of rural and Tribal lands access to broadband technology. The third panel will evaluate the state of broadband access internationally, looking closely at the case of developing nations. Finally, the conference will conclude with a closing dialogue on putting infrastructure in perspective to capture the overall theme of the conference.

Welcome 1:00pm - 1:15pm
Phil Weiser
Dean
University of Colorado Law School
Executive Director
Silicon Flatirons Center

Low Income Access to Broadband 1:15pm - 2:15pm

Sharyn Guhman
Chief Information Officer
Denver Public Schools

Nicol Turner Lee
Vice President and Chief Research & Policy Officer
Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC)

Madura Wijewardena
Executive Director, Public Policy
Comcast

Jon Wilkins
Managing Director
Federal Communications Commission

Moderator
Blake Reid
Assistant Clinical Professor
University of Colorado Law School

Break 2:15pm - 2:30pm

Rural and Tribal Lands Access 2:30pm - 3:30pm

Amina N. Fazlullah
Director of Policy
Benton Foundation

Stephen C. Hillard
President and Chief Executive Officer
Council Tree Investors

John Jones
Senior Vice President, Public Policy and Government Relations
CenturyLink

Patty Limerick
Faculty Director & Chair of the Board
Center of the American West
University of Colorado

Moderator
Phil Weiser
Dean
University of Colorado Law School
Executive Director
Silicon Flatirons Center

Break 3:30pm - 3:45pm

International Broadband Access 3:45pm - 4:45pm

Scott Marcus
Director
WIK-Consult GmbH

Glenn Reynolds
Chief of Staff
National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Kyaw Tin
Associate Director
Myanmar Peace Center

Phil Verveer
Senior Counsel to the Chairman
Federal Communications Commission

Moderator
Monisha Merchant
Managing Director
Lotus Advisory

Closing Dialogue: Putting Infrastructure in Perspective 4:45pm - 5:30pm

Reception 5:30pm - 6:30pm