Communications and Information Policy

Communications and Information Policy

Course Features

Course Highlights

Course Description

Technical Requirements

In 1998, university professor Kembrew McLeod trademarked the phrase "freedom of expression" as a comment on the current state of intellectual property law and the exchange of ideas. His book of the same title has been published under a Creative Commons license. (Image courtesy of Prof. Kembrew McLeod.)

Course Description

This course provides an introduction to the technology and policy context of public communications networks, through critical discussion of current issues in communications policy and their historical roots. The course focuses on underlying rationales and models for government involvement and the complex dynamics introduced by co-evolving technologies, industry structure, and public policy objectives. Cases drawn from cellular, fixed-line, and Internet applications include evolution of spectrum policy and current proposals for reform; the migration to broadband and implications for universal service policies; and property rights associated with digital content. The course lays a foundation for thesis research in this domain.

Prerequisites

ESD.10 (Introduction to Technology and Policy), or permission of instructor. Students who have not taken ESD.10 are encouraged to familiarize themselves with Stone, Deborah. Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision Making. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2001. ISBN: 0393976254.

Textbook

Nuechterlein, J., and P. Weiser. Digital Crossroads: American Telecommunications Policy in the Internet Age. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2005. ISBN: 0262140918.

Grading

Evaluation will be based on following:

ACTIVITIES	PERCENTAGES
Class Participation	20%
A Short (5 page) Mid-term Paper	20%
A Final Team Project (comprised of a Proposal, Presentation, and Final (20 page) Paper)	60%

Assignments

• Readings: Readings are an integral part of this course. Students who indicate that they are prepared will be called on in class to explain the main ideas from assigned readings. Quality of explanation will be factored into the evaluation of class participation.
• Mid-term Paper: The class will be given a written piece of policy advocacy on themes relevant to the course. Students will then be expected to write a paper that analyzes the piece's arguments and rhetorical techniques.
• Final Project: Students will work in teams to develop a final project, based on their selection of one design challenge from several options to be provided by the instructors.

Course Layout

Module 1: Technology (Clark)

An overview of technical topics underpinning the course, including the Internet's architecture, application design, and wired and wireless networking technologies.

Module 2: Policy: Rationale and Methods (Gillett and Lehr)

• Why have regulators been so involved in telecommunications?
• Overview of methods of technical and policy analysis applicable to the final project. Discussion of problem definition and issue framing for topics with interwoven technical, social, economic, and political dimensions.

Module 3: Deep Dives (All)

This section of the course will provide the necessary background to support the topics offered as design challenges. It is broken into four submodules:

• Module 3a: Spectrum Policy (Lehr)
• Module 3b: Copyright and other Information-related Policies (Field)
• Module 3c: Interconnection of Internet Service Providers (Lehr)
• Module 3d: Broadband Access (Gillett and Guests)

Module 4: Additional Lectures

While students are preparing their final projects, additional lecturers will be invited to address the class on additional topics of interest.

• Internet Governance (Guest Scott Bradner, Harvard University)
• Open Access, or Making Money Openly (Clark)
• One Laptop per Child (aka $100 laptop); the Internet and Developing Countries (Michail Bletsas, MIT Media Lab)

Module 5: Student Presentations

Lecture Notes

This section contains documents that could not be made accessible to screen reader software. A "#" symbol is used to denote such documents.

Instructors

Dr. David D. Clark
Dr. Frank Field
Sharon E. Gillett, Instructor in charge
Dr. William Lehr

LEC #	TOPICS	INSTRUCTORS
Module 1: Technology
1	A Quick Guide to the Internet (PDF)	Clark
2	Application Design on the Internet (PDF)	Clark
3	EE 101 (PDF)	Clark
4	Internet Interconnection (PDF)	Clark
Module 2: Policy Rationale and Methods
5	Why have Regulators been so involved in Telecommunications? (PDF)	Gillett and Lehr
6	Overview of Methods of Technical and Policy Analysis Applicable to the Final Project. Discussion of Problem Definition and Issue Framing for Topics with Interwoven Technical, Social, Economic, and Political Dimensions	Gillett and Lehr
Module 3: Deep Dives into Four Topics
Module 3a: Spectrum Policy
7	Spectrum Management Reform, Part 1 (PDF 1) (PDF 2)	Lehr
8	Spectrum Management Reform, Part 2 (PDF)	Lehr
Module 3b: Information Policy
9	Intellectual Property: Content and Digital Telecommunication Policy (PDF - 1.1 MB)#	Field
10	Architecture and Control (PDF - 1.8 MB)#	Field
11	Culture, Content and Copyright (PDF)#	Field
Module 3c: Interconnection
12	Challenges for Convergence: Interconnection (PDF 1) (PDF 2)#	Lehr
13	Challenges for Convergence: Interconnection (cont.)	Lehr
Module 3d: Broadband Access
14	Competition in Access Networks (PDF 1) (PDF 2)	Gillett
15	Case Studies: VoIP (PDF 1) (PDF 2), Municipal Broadband	Gillett
16	Municipal Broadband (cont.)	Guest Lecturers: Patrick McCormick (Brookline Wireless) and Steven Gag (Technology Advisor to Boston Mayor Thomas Menino)
17	Network Neutrality (PDF)	Gillett
18	Network Neutrality (cont.)	Gillett
19	IPTV (PDF) (Courtesy of Marie-José Montpetit. Used with permission.)	Marie-José Montpetit, Motorola
Module 4: Miscellaneous Topics
20	Internet Governance	Scott Bradner, Harvard University
21	Open Access, or Making Money Openly (PDF)	Clark
22	One Laptop per Child (aka $100 Laptop); the Internet and Developing Countries	Michail Bletsas, MIT Media Lab
Module 5: Student Presentations
23-25	Classroom Presentations and Discussion