Dialogue on Diversity is a non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating creative conversations among men and women of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. As part of this mission, the organization often hosts conferences and symposia around entrepreneurial advancement, and the skills and policy policies that will facilitate that advancement. Today, the Dialogue on Diversity gathered leaders on IT, business productivity, marketing, and supply chains, to share their expertise on Capitol Hill. AT&T and Verizon were among the sponsors of the event, which both inspired and informed.

Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) delivered the Congressional Overview for the conference. The Congressman urged for ensuring that government contracting opportunities reach women and minority owned businesses in order to help the digital divide and avoid a green divide. “Let’s not look at diversity as something we have to do, but change our thoughts philosophically, and look at diversity as an integral part of rebuilding our economy.”

Link Hoewing, Vice President of Internet Technology and Policy for Verizon Communications, spoke about the role of broadband in the economy, jobs, and small businesses. Hoewing echoed the sentiments of both Rep. Grijalva and fellow panelist Ana Harvey, Assistant Administrator of the Women’s Business Owner of U.S. Small Business Administration, on the growing importance of technology globally. He added that continued investment in broadband networks can help power the economic recovery and that addressing challenges to broadband adoption, like digital literacy and computer ownership, will help to bridge the digital divide. Hoewing is extremely optimistic about tapping even further into the power of broadband. Currently broadband is primarily powering communication. But in the future, broadband will be vital to our health, education, and so much more.

You can watch Hoewing’s speech in its entirety below.

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What is the relationship between jobs, innovation, and regulatory policy? According to a recent memo released by Michael Mandel of the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) titled, “The Coming Communications Boom? Jobs, Innovation and Countercyclical Regulatory Policy”, they are integrally connected.

With America attempting to pull itself out of the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression, and with the national unemployment rate currently hovering just below 10%, one industry is stepping up to the plate and creating new American jobs – the communications industry. This memo released by PPI states, “Internet companies, along with firms engaged in wireless telecom and computer systems design, seem to be emerging as ‘job leaders’ in the next economic expansion.”

But what role will regulatory policy play in continuing this “job awakening” that we have seen in the communications industry? The answer depends on what types of regulatory policies are adopted moving forward. This memo by PPI calls for “countercyclical regulatory policy” to be applied to the telecommunications industry. Traditionally, this type of policy has been reserved for the financial industry. But Mandel argues that, “Countercyclical regulatory policy could bring enormous benefits. Investments would pour into the communications sector, and hiring would step up, as companies try to take advantage of the permissive regulatory period to build out their businesses.”

Read more of Mandel’s case here.

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As many industry leaders noted in their panel at the Minority Media & Telecom Council conference the day prior, the Internet is powering extraordinary advancement opportunities that minorities are encouraged to embrace.  MMTC gathered several thought leaders who have grown media businesses, along with those who advise and fund businesses, to discuss the best ways to create, finance, and build a startup company in today’s broadband world.

One of the panelists who offered key advice was Juan Pablo Giometti, President & CEO of the National Hispanic Entrepreneurs’ Organization (NHEO).  Watch the video below to learn how Giometti is working to foster the next generation of Hispanic entrepreneurs and how he sees broadband as an affordable way to start a company.

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Today, NextGenWeb listened to AT&T’s Cathy Martine as she spoke at the Phoenix awards luncheon held in honor of National Small Business Week. The Phoenix awards are given to three disaster recovery heroes whose efforts and contributions have enabled their businesses or communities to recover successfully from a disaster. The conference is a public/private sector event themed “Small Business Innovation” with around 700-800 small business attendees.

Ms. Martine was quick to point out the importance of small business on the national economy, particularly those cities and states trying to recover after a disaster. For success, small businesses need the best tools and technology that companies like AT&T make available. AT&T has invested $55 billion in recent years and plans to contribute another $19 billion that will expand even more America’s broadband networks that deliver the kinds of apps and innovations that consumers enjoy today.

Ms. Martine said, “Nearly two-thirds of small businesses could not survive, or it would be a very large challenge to survive, without wireless technology… small businesses are the heart and soul of the American economy.”

More solutions are made available to AT&T’s three-million small business customers on a daily basis. Those solutions help small business customers run more effective businesses and help further fuel America’s economic growth and innovation engine.

Clearly a win-win situation for all involved.

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As one of the leading voices on broadband policy, Larry Downes , a nonresident Fellow with the Stanford Law School Center for Internet & Society, makes a serious case against the proposed Internet regulatory scheme being touted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). He’s written a number of pieces pointing out the “unintended consequences” of the FCC’s intent to classify broadband as a common carrier service under Title II in the Communications Act. Language, by the way, originally authored in the 1930’s. That doesn’t exude a real futuristic connotation as one might expect to see in 21st Century Internet policy.

Downes, like many, believes a change in policy will undoubtedly slow growth and bring private investment into the broadband Internet economy to a screeching halt. How much private capital has been invested in today’s broadband infrastructure? $500B over the past eight years is how much. So slapping 1930’s Title II regulations on the Internet carries with it real consequences.

Please see below and read more about Larry Downes and his arguments against Internet regulation.

DeMoines Register
May 8, 2010
Guest column: Build broadband infrastructure for everyone
By Larry Downes

CNetnews.com
April 19, 2010 12:39 PM PDT
Reality check on ‘reclassifying’ broadband
By Larry Downes

The Orange County Register
Updated: March 18, 2010 3:04 p.m.
Larry Downes: Don’t regulate broadband Internet
By Larry Downes

The Hill
March 15, 2010 03:32 PM ET
Net neutrality would end innovation, not preserve it
By Larry Downes

CNetnews.com
March 11, 2010 10:00 AM PST
What’s in a title? For broadband, it’s Oz vs. Kansas
By Larry Downes

The Laws of Disruption: Harnessing the New Forces that Govern Life and Business in the Digital Age
By Larry Downes

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The Georgetown Center for Business & Public Policy took to the Hill yesterday with a line-up of experts to discuss future job opportunities that will have the most impact on economic growth.   What are they you ask?

Green Jobs – As we transition to a greener economy, the increased demand for greater energy efficiency creates incredible potential for growth in the green jobs sector.  Mark Doms, a Chief Economist at the Department of Commerce, says that although the green economy is currently just 1-2% of the economy, with the right policies and investments, this could be an important area of growth.  Supporting this trend, fellow panelist Bob Nelson, President of CWG Midwest cited data from the growth of his e-waste recycling company, like the 20% increase in the recycling of cell phones.

Smart Jobs – Panelists were quick to note that often our job concerns focus on manufacturing, when the real opportunities for growth are in services and other “skilled, high wage” businesses.  Georgetown Business Professor J. Bradford Jensen says the smart business service sector is 25% of all jobs (vs. only 10% in manufacturing), suggesting this is where we need to focus.  Paul Delaney, a representative from FedEx Express concurred, even noting that IBM 20 years ago was about 80% manufacturing and 20% services now is 80% services and 20% manufacturing.

Broad(band) Jobs – Robert Shapiro, a Senior Policy Fellow at the Georgetown Center, brought to light the economic reality that job creation has now declined relative to economic growth, and therefore, we can no longer be complacent about job growth. He believes that broadband deployment will be key to new jobs, generating job growth in infrastructure, devices, and applications.  Fellow panelist Nicol Turner-Lee agreed noting that with increased digital literacy opportunities, minority and low-income communities could benefit from economic success.

Shapiro also noted that communities with broadband had more job growth than those without, demonstrating the increased labor value of those who work with these technologies.  He says we need policies that support investment in broadband and cautioned the Administration and Congress about policy changes that could weaken these investments.

Read more about broadband and jobs in this report from the Brookings Institute and this report from ITIF, and watch the video below for more from Robert Shapiro.

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Yesterday the House Small Business Committee held a hearing that examined the impact broadband is having on American small businesses. You don’t have to look far to find an economist that says both small business and broadband are crucial to the growth of the American economy. Committee Chairwoman Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) said that the number of jobs dependent on broadband are expected to grow by 25% over the next 10 years.

Long-time NextGenWeb contributor and small business owner Tom McDonald, CEO of BeSafe Technologies, was one of the panelists called to testify. McDonald told members that the broadband expansion America has witnessed over the past several years has been instrumental to the growth of his and other small businesses throughout the country. While he said it is tough out there on Main Street right now, that he is optimistic that the broadband explosion will continue in the years ahead. A caveat he added was that “certainty of the rules of the game” are critical and that he is worried about the uncertainty that could be created around the Title II issue unfolding at the FCC (more on that in our interview below). Ranking Member and Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO), cautioned that regulatory schemes which discourage investment in broadband infrastructure are not only harmful to small business, but also consumers.

Evan Burfield, (@eburfield) President and CEO of the Synteractive Corporation said in his testimony, “I know Congress and policy makers are paying close attention to ‘Net Neutrality,’ and the Members of this Committee are more attuned to the ongoing policy debate than I am. But as an entrepreneur, I would encourage policy makers to steer clear of foreclosing new business opportunities for small business, including our ability to partner with carriers.”

Concluding the Q&A portion of the hearing McDonald urged members to make sure that “today’s solution is not tomorrow’s problem” when it comes to facilitating continued growth in the broadband marketplace. He told committee members that the growth of broadband penetration is an American success story, and that while there is more work to do we shouldn’t invoke policies that could stifle the growth we’re already seeing.

Be sure to check our interview with BeSafe CEO Tom McDonald below outside the U.S. Capitol.

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“The question should not be, ‘How do we divide the pie fairly?’ The real question should be, ‘How do we continue to grow the pie?’”

So said Richard Feasey, Public Policy Director of Vodafone, when presenting the findings of a report titled “The Economics of the Internet” on Thursday. The main crux of Feasey’s report focused on the economics of what has become known as the “Internet Ecosystem.”

According to Feasey, there is a lack of real understanding on the part of the global policy community when it comes to understanding the economics of the Internet. Most policy discussions are focused on the consumer side of things, while the majority of Internet revenue is actually generated in relatively obscure business-to-business transactions. These transactions include everything from hardware, software, devices and infrastructure.

Though Feasey’s report and overall tone took on a global characteristic, he did focus on the US by stating, “What happens in the US sets the pace for the rest of the world in terms of Internet policy.” This is why making informed policy decisions at home is so important, and understanding the true economics of the Internet can go along way in achieving that goal.

Finally, Feasey dove into specifics about revenue, investment and rate of return for different sectors of the Internet economy. One of the most interesting examples came when comparing online advertising revenue and broadband infrastructure investment. Feasey found that if all online ad revenue were given to broadband providers, it still would not be enough to fund their current levels of infrastructure investment. And those same broadband providers that are investing billions of dollars per year are receiving a return on investment that is below or equal to the vast majority of S&P 500 companies.

Simply put, the economy of the Internet would not be as valuable without America’s broadband providers who are investing billions in the infrastructure that has now delivered broadband to 95% of Americans. That is a good American story to tell.

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Among the headlining speakers that included Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Sierra Club Executive Chair Carl Pope, and U.S. Senator John Kerry at the Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference was Jim Cicconi, AT&T’s Senior Executive Vice President for External & Legislative Affairs. AT&T offered a unique perspective among an array of green activists and politicians, by talking about the important contributions that broadband is making to our green economy and low carbon future.

Cicconi began by thanking fellow conference participants, including the Blue Green Alliance for their recent report, Networking the Green Economy: How Broadband and Related Technologies Can Build a Green Economic Future. The report talks about the potential of broadband to spur job growth through the development of smart buildings, smart grids, telehealth, teleconferencing, and digital education. Cicconi also referenced the Smart 2020 report, which found that the large-scale adoption of broadband in the United States can reduce CO2 emissions by 13 to 22 percent by 2020 “by transforming the way people and businesses use technology.”

Cicconi touted the $55 billion that AT&T has invested in their networks over the past three years, and outlined plans to invest between $18 and $19 billion this year, an increase of 5 to 10 percent over last year. It is precisely this level of investment that will power our green job future. Finally, Cicconi reminded the audience of the need to maintain the kind of climate conducive to these kinds of capital investments, which are so critical in increasing deployment and adoption of the green technologies that were highlighted at the event.

Click below to watch archived footage of Cicconi’s remarks.

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The Alliance for Digital Equality, a non-profit dedicated to ensuring equal access to technology in underserved communities, assembled some of their leading champions who are bridging the digital divide in Newark, NJ, for their most recent Digital Empowerment Summit.  Guest speakers, moderators, and panelists featured people who are making a difference in communities most prominently in the areas of civic participation, public health, public safety, economic development, and education, all through the power of broadband.

The day kicked off with opening remarks by ADE Chairman and CEO Julius Hollis who sees broadband as a tool to rectify economic inequalities, but reminded participants that achieving universal broadband will cost money.  “Private investment is essential and will be encouraged,” urged Hollis.  Throughout the day, overtones of hope and opportunity ran through presentations by such notables as FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, Former President of U.S. Conference of Mayors and Former Mayor of Miami Manny Diaz, and Author and Activist Hill Harper, to name just a few.

Mario Armstrong, CNN Contributor and Talk Show Host, served as a de facto ambassador for the education community.  He wants to get information out of textbooks (and those heavy backpacks that kids carry them in!) and move the information onto more mobile devices.  He urged the room to imagine a world where every child had an iPad-like tablet that housed all of their curriculum throughout their education.  And another role of children?  To teach adults to be more digitally literate.  What if parents were required to sign off on homework online?  We’d see a lot more parents getting connected, he insisted.

NextGenWeb was fortunate to catch up with two of the day’s keynote speakers, Mayor of Newark Cory Booker and President and CEO of the National Urban League Marc Morial.  Watch the video interviews below to learn more about how these leaders are embracing technology in their lives and what they say to their constituents who have access to broadband, but have not yet chosen to adopt.  A sneak peak – Marc Morial says, “It’s like green eggs and ham; Try it and you’ll like it!”

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