ABOUT:
Defense policy analysis, commentary and discussion.Gautham Nagesh has written and edited the Technology Executive Briefing for CQ Roll Call since 2012. He previously covered the intersection of technology and politics for The Hill newspaper and Government Executive magazine. His writing on boxing and other topics has been featured by The Washington Post, The Atlantic, NPR, and Stiff Jab, among other outlets. He got his start in journalism at the Cornell Daily Sun and currently serves as national treasurer of the Asian American Journalists Association.
Baby monitors. Bluetooth headsets. Wi-Fi Internet access. E-Z Pass. These are just some of the common technologies used by consumers every day that run on free, public airwaves known as unlicensed spectrum.
West Virginia University recently became a pioneer in the use of unlicensed spectrum when it launched a Wi-Fi network based on unused airwaves between TV channels known as “white spaces.”
The question of whether law enforcement officials need a warrant to track individuals using their cellphones remains open, but the prospects for legislation on the issue are murky at best in Congress.
When Maine enacted legislation last week banning law enforcement officials from tracking individuals using cellphones or other GPS-enabled devices, it became the second state to do so after Montana. A similar effort failed in the Texas Legislature, but there is little doubt that other states will also act if Congress fails to update the statutes that govern access to digital communications.
Minority Media and Telecommunications Council President David Honig has devoted his life to civil rights issues, particularly those revolving around the media and telecom policy.
At his confirmation hearing last week, Tom Wheeler, President Barack Obama’s choice to lead the Federal Communications Commission, was grilled on everything from his ties to the telecom industry to his stance on crucial broadband policy issues such as net neutrality.
Opponents of legalizing online poker have cited a number of reasons for their resistance, including a moral objection to gambling and the dangers of giving addicts a constant, easily accessible alternative to brick-and-mortar casinos, where other safeguards could be in place.
Not long ago, legislation to legalize online poker seemed a good bet to pass Congress. But the retirement of Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., last year has left online poker players without a key Senate GOP ally and a card short of a winning hand.
When Sen. John McCain recently introduced legislation to reshape how consumers watch cable television, he knew he was picking a fight with some of the most influential companies in town.
The cable industry received a boost earlier this month when President Barack Obama nominated Tom Wheeler, a former head of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, cable’s top lobbying group, to chair the Federal Communications Commission.
Lawmakers and regulators are at odds over the best way to satisfy the public’s growing demand for wireless data. Both have made finding more spectrum to expand mobile broadband networks a priority, but members of Congress are pushing for the immediate sale of a valuable chunk of federal airwaves, while the Obama administration appears more concerned with long-term planning.
Because spectrum is such a scarce resource, almost every usable chunk of airwaves in the United States is accounted for and occupied by either federal or private users.
Senate aides will learn more this week about the prosecution that supporters blame for causing the death of Internet “hacktivist” Aaron Swartz.
A “multi-stakeholder model” governs the Internet, but what does that really mean?
The House Energy and Commerce Committee overwhelmingly backed a seemingly unremarkable bill Wednesday designed to prevent foreign governments from taking greater control of the Internet. But it’s what isn’t included in the legislation that is the most revealing.
At just 25 years old, Derek Khanna has learned how quickly fortunes can change in Washington.
When the White House embraced an online petition earlier this month to legalize cellphone unlocking, it marked another key milestone in the rising importance of technology policy issues.
Any law that attempts to limit the amount of violence in media would have to pass a high bar: the First Amendment.
Does exposing children to violence in TV shows, movies and video games increase their odds of violent behavior later on?
The mood was understandably somber when friends and well-wishers gathered last week to pay tribute to the late Internet activist Aaron Swartz. A host of speakers, including members of Congress from both parties, lamented the wasted talent of the 26-year-old prodigy who dedicated his life to the liberation of information.
Demand Progress Executive Director David Segal didn’t set out to build a grass-roots movement of Internet activists, but after the death of his close friend Aaron Swartz, he may not have a choice.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., turned to the online community on Reddit last month for help with legislation she is drafting to try to slow down the government’s seizure of website domains accused of copyright infringement.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren’s interest in tech policy runs deep. A lifelong Bay Area resident, the California Democrat took programming classes during her college days at Stanford and has spent the past 18 years representing a Silicon Valley district.
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