Eyeing Wireless and Broadband Opportunities amid FCC Pain Points

Joining me on PowerTalk to peel the onion on a number of issues that we face in our broadband-centric lives is a former commissioner with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Robert McDowell recently left the FCC after seven years and, while his is not a household name, Broadcasting & Cable magazine said he “gained a reputation of a statesmanlike conservative who can find common ground with his opposition without compromising his principles.” He was kind enough to spend some time with me as he heads to Hudson Institute’s Center for Economics of the Internet as a visiting fellow.

If you’re the average American, I’m sure you enjoy your cell phone, smartphone, high-speed Internet, cable programming and so on. In fact, you probably are semi-addicted to the connectivity. What you probably don’t enjoy is writing that ever-increasing check each month when you pay your bill to AT&T, Verizon, Comcast or some other service provider.

While we tend to think of the device we are using — smartphone or set top box — and the network that enables it, there is far more going on behind the scenes, not only at those companies, but in Washington, D.C.

In this edition of PowerTalk, Robert McDowell and I discuss issues facing broadcasters, such as Aereo; the impact of rising smartphone competition, particularly from Huawei; the future of wireless — for those who think the smartphone and tablets are the pinnacle you have a rude awakening coming. We also talk about some of the pain points facing the industry, including the spectrum shortage, which is interesting since the government is sitting on a ton of it.

Listen to my behind-the-scenes PowerTalk conversation now, so you are even more in the know:

Access prior PowerTalk interviews here:

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