Innovating Policy for the Internet of Things

#sxsw #IOTPolicy

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The Internet is increasingly the home for communications between sensors and devices that support a variety of applications, across a broad range of industries. This “Internet of Things” operates over unlicensed spectrum such as wifi and there will undoubtedly be a torrent of new technologies across a host of industries, including communications and entertainment, medical, agriculture, energy, transportation, and the Internet of Things of connected devices and machines. Policymakers in Washington – Congress, the Administration, and the FCC – have begun to recognize the critical importance of supporting the growth of Wi-Fi. This panel will explore the cutting edge policy debates that will undoubtedly impact the new technologies ahead. Sponsored by Glen Echo Group.

Presenters

David Don

Exec Dir

Comcast Corporation

David Don is currently Executive Director for Regulatory & Public Affairs at Comcast Corporation. Prior to that, he was the Senior Director for Spectrum Policy. David has worked extensively on the FCC’s public policy and spectrum allocation policies for over fifteen years. In his current position, he is responsible for helping Comcast/NBCUniversal develop and implement the company’s strategy in the latest wireless issues of the day, including the FCC’s 600 MHz Incentive Auction proceeding and the 5 GHz rulemaking for unlicensed spectrum. David played a key role in Comcast’s initial acquisition and later disposition of AWS spectrum, as well as the company’s ongoing marketing agreements with Verizon Wireless. David is also responsible for helping Comcast develop its broadband strategies.

Jim Lansford

Fellow of Global Standards

Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR)

Dr. Jim Lansford is a Fellow in the Global Standards Group at Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR), responsible for Wi-Fi standards and strategy. He has over 30 years of experience in communications systems, digital signal processing, and strategic business development. He has been Chief Technology Officer of three wireless startups (Momentum Microsystems, Mobilian, and Alereon) and has held senior technical positions at Harris and Intel Corporation. Dr. Lansford was formerly the co-chair of 802.15.3a (high speed UWB) as well as former chair of 802.19 (Coexistence) within IEEE 802, and was also a vice-chair of IEEE 802.15.2. He is currently vice-chair of the Wireless Next Generation Standing Committee as well as chairing a Tiger Team on coexistence between DSRC and unlicensed WLAN technologies in IEEE 802.11. In the Wi-Fi Alliance, he chairs the Automotive Market Segment Task Group, and is vice-chair of both the Long Range Strategy and the Wi-Fi SensorNet groups.

In addition to his experience with CSR and other companies, Dr. Lansford has served on the teaching and/or research faculty of Georgia Tech, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, and Oklahoma State University, and was a Visiting Associate Professor at Texas State University. He is currently active as an Adjunct Professor in the graduate Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program at the University of Colorado – Boulder. Dr. Lansford is an ABET Program Evaluator, a Senior Member of the IEEE, and has a Wireless Communications Engineering Technology (WCET) certification.

Dr. Lansford has a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Oklahoma State, an MSEE from Georgia Tech, and a BSEE from Auburn University.

He lives at 8,500 feet up in the Rockies west of Pike's Peak with his wife and daughter. Having lived in Austin for 7 years, he also thinks it is important to Keep Austin Weird!

Larra Clark

Dir, Program on Networks

American Library Association - Office for Information Technology Policy

Larra Clark is the director of the Program on Networks and Program on America’s Libraries for the 21st Century in the American Library Association Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP). Her responsibilities include overall management of OITP’s telecommunications portfolio, strategic communications and research, and day-to-day management of projects in partnership with the Bill& Melinda Gates Foundation. Previously Larra served as the project manager in the ALA Office for Research & Statistics for three years. Her primary focus was on the Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study, including conducting qualitative research, contributing to and editing study reports, and leading outreach and communications efforts around study findings. Larra began her career with libraries in the Public Information Office as Manager of Media Relations, following more than a decade of experience in non-profit public affairs, government relations, media relations and print journalism.

Richard Whitt

Global Head of Public Policy & Government Rel

Motorola Mobility

Richard S. Whitt is Corporate Vice President and Global Head of Public Policy and Government Relations with Motorola Mobility, a Google Inc. company. Since moving to Motorola in May 2012, Rick has overseen all of Motorola’s public policy thinking and interactions with government policymakers around the world. Previously, he spent five and a half years with Google's public policy team based in Washington, D.C., where he was responsible primarily for telecom and media policy issues. Among other achievements he led Google’s advocacy on open Internet, broadband deployment, and spectrum policy, and helped guide the Company’s efforts regarding the 700 MHz spectrum auction, TV White Spaces, and Google Fiber. Most recently Rick had served as Google’s director and managing counsel for federal policy, overseeing strategic thinking on privacy, cybersecurity, intellectual property, Internet governance, free expression, and international trade.