Innovation Policy Post

Despite being the foreign policy debate, basic research, competitiveness and science and math education was added in to last night’s face off between President Obama and Governor Romney.

The American Enterprise Institute’s book forum titled “Better Capitalism: Reviving America’s Entrepreneurial Engine” today featured Robert E. Litan and Carl J. Schramm, the authors of the book “Better Capitalism: Renewing the Entrepreneurial Strength of the American Economy.”  One of the issues discussed was the need to revamp immigration policies for highly skilled immigrants.  

During the second presidential debate last night in New York both President Obama and Governor Romney agreed on the need for immigration reform.

The Brookings Institute held a panel discussion Wednesday on “Fostering Internet Competition” to highlight a new Brookings paper “How to Maintain a Competitive Internet.” Darrell West, who moderated the discussion, wrote that by 2016 analysts estimate the digital economy will amount to $4.2 trillion among G-20 nations – nearly double the $2.3 trillion for 2010.

The ITU has not revised its regulations (ITRs) governing things like satellite spectrum slots and telephone network connections since 1988.  No matter, the global Internet is working very well anyway.   

Except where there’s little or no access. Some countries that have struggled with the economics or politics of broadband access, and sometimes both, are looking to the ITU for help.