Networking Pipeline: Since you're familiar with the way Washington works, how long are we going to have to wait to see any regulatory reforms? Three years? Five years?
Kathryn Brown: We don't have five years. There are going to be enormous changes to the technology between now and 2005, or 2006. There are going to be new applications invented that we don't even know about yet. When they appear, the burden of the old legacy regulations will become even more apparent.
Networking Pipeline: What types of applications are you talking about?
Brown: VoIP is just one application in this same layer -- eventually there will be more Internet radio, and video. When I was with the FCC, we talked about taking broadband out of the Title II-Title III mileau, but it never happened. We need a much more rational approach, rather than trying to stick these things into existing silos.
Networking Pipeline: Do you think that the industry players will be able to reach their own consensus on matters like intercarrier compensation in the VoIP world and other IP communications?
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
