Silicon Flatirons

A Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado

The Digital Broadband Migration: Examining the Internet's Ecosystem

@ Wolf Law Building on Sunday and the UMC Building on Monday
Sunday, January 31 - Monday, February 1, 2010

Post-Event Coverage

For a detailed report summarizing the conference written by Silicon Flatirons Research Fellow Kaleb Sieh, click here.

Video

For viewing the video recordings of the conference, click here.

The Internet exists as an ecosystem, where an array of network providers, application developers, content creators and end users co-exist with one another. In the best of contexts, this is a peaceful co-existence with shared goals and a mutual understanding of the interdependent nature of the ecosystem. In the worst of contexts, the different actors are at war with one another--either in word or in deed. Most often, however, there is a tense co-existence, with the various tensions often just beneath the surface.

At our 2009 Digital Broadband Migration conference (on Imagining the Internet's Future), the interconnected and misunderstood nature of the Internet ecosystem arose as a dominant theme (see here, here, and here). In this year's conference, we will pick up that thread and examine an array of issues, including (1) the dynamics of market structure and opportunities for innovation; (2) governance challenges around issues involving cooperation, such as the issues around interconnection between network providers and network provider and application developers, and (3) the business models that sustain content in an environment where many content creators (newspapers, for example) are sustaining to find a source of revenue to stay in business. To do so, we will bring together a leading group of academics, public interest advocates, governmental officials, and industry executives.