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10 J. on Telecomm. & High Tech. L. 351 (2012)
Technology and the Sovereignty of the Individual

handle is hein.journals/jtelhtel10 and id is 369 raw text is: TECHNOLOGY AND THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE INDIVIDUAL THE HONORABLE ROBERT M. MCDOWELL* IN TRO DU CTIO N ..................................................................................... 351 I. COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES PROLIFERATE FASTER A FTER LIBERALIZATION ............................................................ 352 II. COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES PRODUCED BY LIBERAL DEMOCRACIES ARE HELPING TO CREATE LIBERAL D EM OCRA CIES ............................................................................ 355 1II. To PROMOTE FREEDOM AND PROSPERITY, GOVERNMENTS SHOULD PRESERVE LIBERALIZED TELECOMS POLICIES ............ 359 Thank you, Ulf, for that kind introduction. It is an honor to be here among such a distinguished group of leaders from around the globe. Your agenda throughout this policy exchange is wonderfully rich and thought provoking. INTRODUCTION As Ulf noted, I am a commissioner of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Many people ask me about how the FCC is structured, so I thought I'd start by describing it to you briefly. We are an independent agency. All five commissioners are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, but we are not part of the Executive Branch. The President designates the Chairman, and no political party may have more than three of the five seats. However, the President cannot fire us. Congress created the FCC to be an independent regulator somewhat insulated from shifting political winds in Washington. By some estimates, the FCC's actions have a direct effect on one- sixth of the U.S. economy, and an indirect effect on up to 40%, if we include the entire information technology sector. In short, what once was * Mr. McDowell has served as a commissioner of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission since June 1, 2006. This paper was first delivered as a speech to a conference in Stockholm, Sweden on June 27, 2011 convened by Ericsson, a provider of telecommunications equipment and services to mobile and fixed network operators. Company Facts, ERICSSON, http://www.ericsson.com/thecompany/companyfacs. The conference was attended by government and industry leaders from throughout the world.

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