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CALEA Mandate Affects Broadband Providers Nationwide

In late 2006, following a decision by the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in American Council on Education v. FCC, broadband service providers nationwide were suddenly presented with a new and extensive federal mandate. Under the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (CALEA), by May 14, 2007 facilities-based broadband and VoIP service providers were to ensure that their networks are technically capable of providing certain surveillance capabilities to law enforcement, potentially at great expense, or face the prospect of incurring a fine of up to $10,000 per day. Over the intervening months, those service providers who were aware of the new requirements have expended substantial resources simply to determine how and whether to comply, in addition to the direct expense of any technical solution they may be compelled to implement.

A National Broadband Strategy: “Make No Small Plans”

In October 2006 and January 2007, Casey Lide and I wrote two articles arguing that the United States should promptly develop a national broadband strategy, as the other leading nations are doing.1 In the first article, we focused on America’s pressing need for rapid deployment of high-capacity next generation networks, and in the second article we proposed an ambitious 8-step plan to make national broadband planning a reality. Since then, a large and growing number of organizations and individuals have voiced support for a national broadband strategy, and a small but vocal opposition has emerged. This paper summarizes the main arguments on both sides and shows that the opponents are wrong on multiple levels.

Investing in America’s Infrastructure: From Bridges to Broadband

The Hamilton Project released six new policy papers and hosted a public forum on the need for a national strategy that promotes infrastructure as a central component of long-term, broadly shared growth. Virginia Governor Tim Kaine joined former U.S. Treasury secretaries Robert E. Rubin and Lawrence H. Summers in the opening session of the forum. Summers gave remarks on the role of infrastructure investments in stimulating economic growth, particularly in the current difficult economic context. Kaine addressed the infrastructure challenges facing the states with a focus on his experiences in the Commonwealth. The opening session concluded with an opportunity for audience Q&A.

Major Metro Cities, Mayors Call For National Broadband Action

The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) on Monday, June 23, unanimously passed a resolution calling for broadband deployment action at the national level. The resolution was co-sponsored by Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and calls on the Administration, the U.S. Congress and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to develop a national broadband policy that makes high speed internet connections to cities a national imperative. The resolution also called for measures to preserve the ability of local governments to provide broadband services within their communities.