2012 State of the Mobile Net: Megabytes by the Morsel and Data by the Dollop
Channel: Congressional Internet Caucus Academy
Date: 2012-05-07

2012 State of the Mobile Net Conference
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Reserve Officers Association on Capitol Hill

Megabytes by the Morsel and Data by the Dollop: How Will New Mobile Data Plans Affect Consumers, Innovation and the Mobile Marketplace? 

Recent reports that the new 4G-LTE enabled iPad could theoretically burn through a user's monthly data allotment in a matter of hours have focused everyone's attention on the issues of mobile data usage, caps, and tiering. Wireless carriers are moving to more dynamic monthly data pricing models as minutes of voice and SMS usage plummet. As they hold in their hands incredibly powerful and data hungry devices like tablets with HD resolution, domestic consumers may find it increasingly difficult to find truly all-you-can-eat unlimited data plans. Carriers overseas are starting to offer hyper-tailored data plans where users' cellphones only have data access to specific sites and services (e.g. Twitter, Facebook). Domestic carriers are exploring data plans that allow app developers to pre-pay the data payload for consumers who use their apps. According to Cisco, mobile data downloads are expected to increase 18-fold by 2016, reaching an astonishing 10.8 exabytes per month from tablets and smartphones. We're not sure how much that is, but it's certainly a lot.

Mobile usage caps have arrived and everyone is wondering what they will mean for how they use their devices to watch movies, stream music, upload photos of their kids, research homework assignments, fill out job applications and file taxes. Our panel of experts will look at the following questions:

- How are mobile data plans evolving?
- Why they are being deployed by the nation's carriers?
- Will there be an impact on mobile social media and entertainment services?
- What's the impact on innovation?
- What will data metering look like in two or four years here and abroad?
- What assurance do consumers have of accurate usage metering?
- What is the impact on social policy?

Panelists:
- Mary Brown, Director, Government Affairs, Cisco Systems
- Roger Entner, Founder, Recon Analytics LLC
- Blair Levin, Communications & Society Fellow, Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program
- Tim Lordan, Executive Director, Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee (Moderator)
- Larry Magid, Syndicated Technology Journalist and Technology Analyst for CBS News
- Scott Wallsten, Vice President for Research & Senior Fellow, Technology Policy Institute
- Michael Weinberg, Senior Staff Attorney, Public Knowledge