MoMoDC - Feb 26 at the Science Club
Breaking Down the Walled Garden

Believe it or not, network neutrality doesn't just affect your Internet connection. It can also affect your cell phone. As is often the case for any policy debate, there are two sides to every story:

Customers: It is frustrating for customers when they see a new phone, like the iPhone, but they are unable to purchase them because it is not supported on their carrier. They must either switch carriers or buy a different phone.

Networks: After spending millions and millions of dollars building their network, is it fair to force a carrier to open itself up to phones it does not support and that may compromise its network?

Join the debate and hear what the experts have to say this month at MobileMonday DC. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of opening up wireless networks and making them neutral.

EVENT: Mobile Monday DC (http://www.mobilemonday-dc.com/), the local chapter of a global movement of technology professionals, announces its February event, "Breaking Down the Walled Garden" on the pros and cons of Wireless Network Neutrality.

WHEN: Monday, February 26, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

WHERE: Science Club DC
1136 19th Street NW Washington DC 20036

Farragut West Metro (Orange and Blue Lines), and Farragut North Metro or Dupont Circle Metro (Red Line)

COST: The event is free to the public. Members of the media are welcome to attend the event.

SPEAKERS: Mike Altschul, CTIA
and Alex Curtis, Public Knowledge

RSVP: So we can have an idea on headcount, please RSVP: http://www.mobilemonday.net/mm/washingtondc/

SPONSOR: The first round of drinks is on the Science Club, our gracious host. (and just a little interesting fact about them... they have Wifi, so feel free to bring your Macs, PCs, or WiFi cabable phones).

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About Michael Altschul
Senior Vice President & General Counsel, CTIA

Altschul joined CTIA in 1990 after serving with the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice. Prior to that, he began his legal career as an attorney specializing in antitrust litigation with Simpson Thacher Bartlett in New York City.
As CTIA's General Counsel, Altschul is responsible for the Association's legal advocacy, CTIA's compliance with antitrust and other applicable laws, and he is an active participant in the development of the Association's public policy positions.

About Alex Curtis
Director of Policy and New Media for Public Knowledge

Alex Curtis is Director of Policy and New Media for Public Knowledge (aka PK), a Washington, DC based public interest organization that works on behalf of consumers and innovators at the intersection of copyright, telecommunications, and information policy. Before finding PK, Alex worked on Capitol Hill for United States Senators Mike DeWine and George V. Voinovich -- making DeWine the second U.S. Senator on the Internet by one day. He worked on legislative issues such as Broadband, Digital Online Music, and Open Access to cable networks, while at the Antitrust Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Alex graduated from Wake Forest University in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He later earned his Juris Doctorate in 2001 from the University of Akron School of Law, where he focused on intellectual property.

The policy issues that PK is currently working on in telecommunications include net neutrality, repurposing of spectrum "white-spaces" for licensed and unlicensed use, and promoting broadband deployment. PK's intends to promote a positive copyright agenda in the 110th Congress, focusing on at least two key issues: orphan works and fair use limitations on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

Posted by Kathie Legg at 1:45 PM

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