Welcome and Opening Thoughts

Lawrence J. Spiwak

President

The Phoenix Center

2006 Phoenix Center Annual U.S. Telecoms Symposium

December 6, 2005 • Washington, D.C.

What’s New at the Phoenix Center… Thirteen (13) Phoenix Center Papers

Research Topics: Franchise Reform Net Neutrality Oil Company Profits A la carte cable Scope of “public interest” authority

Mergers Adjudication of Net Neutrality claims

Software liability “Valley of Death”

Two (2) papers published in academic journals Three (3) other papers accepted in academic

journals for publication forthcoming Q1 2007

Op-eds placed in major News Outlets Legal Times CNET Orange County Register St. Petersburg Times Dallas-Ft. Worth Star Telegram

Significant Citations Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives Floor of the U.S. Senate Congressional Research Service FCC

Nearly 200 hits in major media and trade press

What’s New at the Phoenix Center…

What’s New at the Phoenix Center… Eleven (11) Different Phoenix Center Events in 2006

Congressional Briefings NARUC Breakfast Workshops Telecom Town Hall Phoenix Center Retreat FCC Senior Staff Briefings

Testimony New Jersey Pennsylvania Florida

Speeches NARUC MACRUC SEARUC FCBA University of New Mexico

What’s New at the Phoenix Center… Significant Appointments:

FCC appoints Phoenix Center Resident Scholar Tom Koutsky to chair North American Numbering Council (NANC)

Phoenix Center awarded grant by U.S. Department of State to participate in Telecommunication Leadership Program (TLP)

Trip to Manila and Hanoi in January

Phoenix Center awarded major contract by Technology Administration in the Department of Commerce to Study “Funding Gap/Valley of Death” for Technology Development

Theoretical Paper (expected late January)

“Summit” (expected March/April)

Final Report (expected summer 2007)

Phoenix Center adds new Resident Scholar