Good Morning!
It has been a while since the last Morning Take, but things have been quiet here in Washington while all attention has shifted to Charlotte for the Democratic National Convention. President Obama will take the stage Thursday night, and tech watchers will be waiting eagerly to see if digital issues receive a prominent mention. The president campaigned on a platform that included implementing net neutrality and expanding broadband availability across the country. Four years later, the FCC's net neutrality rules face tough challenges in court and the nation's appetite for wireless broadband is quickly outstripping the carriers' ability to provide bandwidth. An ambitious vision from the president on how to satisfy the growing demand for data would be the perfect formula to rally Silicon Valley to his side, particularly after tech executives appear increasingly enamored with rival Mitt Romney and the Republicans' emphasis on cutting taxes and regulations.
Lack of Preparation for Isaac Echoes Katrina: CQ's Jennifer Scholtes has a look at how the Federal Emergency Management Agency's improvements since Hurricane Katrina seven years ago failed to extend to the American public, which remained largely unprepared for Hurricane Isaac's landfall last week. Public education, training and exercises have helped raise awareness, but only 60 percent of residents took action to prepare for the emergency. First-responder communications systems appear to have held up during the response to Isaac, a key difference from the post-Katrina debacle. Expect more from FEMA and the FCC in the coming days. Twitter Fights For Free Speech: Twitter's chief lawyer, Alexander Macgillivray, said the micro-blogging platform's willingness to stand up for the free speech of its users might prove to be a competitive advantage as the site continues to grow. Twitter has pushed back against government requests to hand over user information, putting the company in a distinct minority among communications providers. But Twitter is banking that users including Arab dissidents and anonymous hackers will prove their loyalty in exchange for some semblance of free speech online. The Economist on Patent Proliferation: This week's print edition of The Economist takes aim at the explosion of patents granted in the U.S. and how they may harm the public by hampering innovation and forcing tech firms to spend untold resources on courtroom battles. The newspaper points to the recent court ruling that Samsung infringed on Apple's patents in designing its smartphone as evidence that the issue has gotten out of hand, noting the case was more focused on how devices look and feel than protecting their proprietary technology. Patent trolls and defensive patents have become a significant issue for tech companies, which have begun competing vigorously to snap up the patent portfolios of now-defunct firms in an attempt to safeguard their future innovations. But last year's sweeping overhaul of U.S. patent law, which some argue favors the same large, litigious corporations, makes it unlikely that things will change in the near future. FCC To Discuss Spectrum Auctions in September: The FCC will reportedly include a proposal regarding spectrum incentive auctions on its agenda for the September open meeting. The measure will likely include details on the reverse-auction process that will be used to compensate local broadcast stations that elect to give up their spectrum. Broadcasters are eager to see how such stations will be repacked into channel-sharing arrangements; other stations may simply choose to go off the air. Stakeholders are hoping to see the auctions take place within a year, as the wireless companies have consistently complained they lack the bandwidth to satisfy Americans' appetite for wireless data consumption.