I just arrived at the Tech Policy Summit in San Jose where Walt Mossberg is about to interview AT&T muckymuck James Cicconi. Darknet author JD Lasica has just handed a copy of his book on how Hollywood is usurping people's right to remix and share their digital property to previous speaker Cong. Howard Berman who could learn something from it.
Cicconi is telling Walt how technically hip digital Neanderthal Ted Stevens is and Walt is challenging him.
Walt wants to know why AT&T should choose what people add to their network. Cicconi says device manufacturers use varied technologies and the carriers should decide what we users get to plug into what. Cicconi argues that the devices are subsidized and therefore the carriers should have a say for that reason. If consumers want choice, then the subsidy needs to go away.
Walt: I don't have to ask permission to take a Mac and plug it in with an ISP. Why is it that AT&T and Verizon get to decide what handset plugs in and why not the user like with computers. Cicconi keeps smiling and is using many words about customer satisfaction so AT&T has to eliminate devices with limitations for their own good, to ensure everything works properly. Cicconi notes that Apple Computer, mentioned by Walt follows and end to end strategy for quality of end user experience. Apple exercises a higher degree of software control. Cicconi says what carriers are doing is better than the government doing it but he doesn't seem to have anything to say about endusers being the decision maker.
Walt asks for Cicconi's view on Net Neutrality. C: Within limits Net Neutrality is a good idea. Argues that ATT won't bar any consumer from connecting any device to the network. We are constantly chasing after the hypothesized abuses. People want to restrict how we manage our own backbone traffic where we have invested billions of dollars.
Walt: Why does the US suck at bandstream? Why is it better in Japan, Korea and "god.. France....FRANCE. " Why can't we do that? Cicconi: Variety of reasons. US competition just heating up in last five years. C: we have to build out all areas at once, so that's why we can't even get Manhattan running fast. Walt: would it be better if we got government off your backs: Cicconi does not really answer. He talks about having to negotiate with all US communities simultaneously.
National Broadband Policy. Cicconi thinks we should have one and then AT&T will not have to negotiate with every town. It also means carrier lobbyists will be able to influence congressman and save lobbying money.
NOTE: I'm taking pictures ut forgot to bring my cable to connect them. I'll add pictures in later.
