Beyond Broadband Access: Developing Data-Based Information Policy Strategies

by Richard D. Taylor, Amit M. Schejter

Overview

After broadband access, what next? What role do metrics play in understanding "information societies"? And, more importantly, in shaping their policies? Beyond counting people with broadband access, how can economic and social metrics inform broadband policies, help evaluate their outcomes, and create useful models for achieving national goals? This timely volume examines not only the traditional questions about broadband, like availability and access, but also explores and evaluates new metrics more applicable to the evolving technologies of information access.

Beyond Broadband Access brings together a stellar array of media policy scholars from a wide range of disciplines—economics, law, policy studies, computer science, information science, and communications studies. Importantly, it provides a well-rounded, international perspective on theoretical approaches to data-based communications policymaking in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Showcasing a diversity of approaches, this invaluable collection helps to meet myriad challenges to improving the foundations for communications policy development.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823251834
Publisher:	Fordham University Press
Publication date:	07/01/2013
Series:	Donald McGannon Communication Research Center's Everett C. Parker Book Series
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Richard D. Taylor holds the Palmer Chair in Telecommunications Studies at Pennsylvania State University. He is cofounder and codirector of the Penn State Institute for Information Policy.

Amit M. Schejter is Associate Professor of Communications at Ben Gurion University of the Negev and at the Pennsylvania State University, where he also serves as codirector of the Institute for Information Policy.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments

Introduction: Numbers That Matter
Richard D. Taylor and Amit M Schejter

PART I: Theory
1. Beyond Broadband Access: What Do We Need to Measure and How Do We Measure It
Catherine Middleton
2. Understanding Digital Gaps: A Quartet of Empirical Methodologies
Bin Zhang and Richard D. Taylor
3. Broadband Nicrofoundations: The Need for Traffic Data
Steven Bauer, David Clark, and William Lehr
4. Ubiquitous Broadband Deployment: Examination of Adoption Factors, Network Competition, and Network Effects
Sangwon Lee and Justin S. Brown
5. Approaches to Overcoming Data Challenges in International Comparisons
Johannes Bauer and Sungjoong Kim
6. Data, Policy, and Democracy
Jorge Reina Schement
7. "Rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties and rulers of tens": Does Democracy Count?
Amit M. Schejter

PART II: The Use and Abuse of Data in Information Policymaking
8. Ph.D. Heal Thyself: In Search of Evidence Based Research for Evidence Based Policy
Eli Noam
9. Case Studies in Abandoned Empiricism and Peer Review at the Federal Communication Commission
Rob Frieden
10. The Determinants of Disconnectedness: Understanding US Broadband Unavailability
Kenneth Flamm
11. Is European Broadband Spending a Sensible Project? The Opportunity Cost Concept and Implications of Input-Output Analysis
Ibrahim Kholilul Rohman and Erik Bohlin
12. Using Data for Policy Development: Designing a Universal Service Fund for Tanzania
Heather Hudson

Notes
Bibliography
List of Contributors
Index

Editorial Reviews

Making communications policy is difficult because policymakers are constantly forced to select one among multiple policy alternatives when neither principles nor theory can provide a definitive answer. Ideally data-based analysis could be used to resolve such uncertainties, but all too frequently the data available and empirical methods employed to analyze it are not up to the task. Beyond Broadband: Developing Data-Based Information Policy Strategies tackles this problem head-on. Chapters by leading communications policy scholars identify problems with the data and empirical methods currently employed to address communications policy problems, offer suggestions for improving both, and recommend process improvements to improve the way data-based analysis is used to inform policy decisions. Communications policy scholars and policy officials should both find this book to be a helpful resource.”

Michigan State University - Steven Wildman

Making communications policy is difficult because policymakers are constantly forced to select one among multiple policy alternatives when neither principles nor theory can provide a definitive answer. Ideally data-based analysis could be used to resolve such uncertainties, but all too frequently the data available and empirical methods employed to analyze it are not up to the task. Beyond Broadband: Developing Data-Based Information Policy Strategies tackles this problem head-on. Chapters by leading communications policy scholars identify problems with the data and empirical methods currently employed to address communications policy problems, offer suggestions for improving both, and recommend process improvements to improve the way data-based analysis is used to inform policy decisions. Communications policy scholars and policy officials should both find this book to be a helpful resource.-Steven Wildman, Michigan State University

From the Publisher