January 22.2008

Russell Senate Office Building, Commerce Committee Hearing Room 253
Washington

This event will focus on whether the clear marketplace trend toward more openness will be sufficient, or if regulation extending the Carterfone consumer choice rules from wireline to wireless are needed. Commissioner Copps — who worked closely with FCC Chairman Martin to impose the open access conditions on C Block licenses in the 700 MHz auction — will describe what he believes the FCC needs to do next. Tony Lewis will describe Verizon's initiative. Professor Frieden will present a paper that New America will release at the event describing FCC precedent for wireless Carterfone regulation — a follow-on to the New America paper, by Columbia Law Professor Tim Wu, that sparked the current policy debate over extending Carterfone non-discrimination rules to wireless.