Questions for FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin
Broadband and the Internet are already having a transformative effect on how we consume media, and I expect that is going to continue to grow over the next few years. Today, you can view programming over the Internet in ways unimaginable just a few years ago. TV receivers are now being introduced that will allow you to view programming delivered over the Internet. Over time, the lines between the various delivery options will continue to blur.
In your opinion, what's the biggest wild card?
Media-to-mobile devices. Broadcasters are working on improvements to the DTV standard that would allow over-the-air signals to be received on your cell phone. Wireless carriers and mobile satellite operators are also working on a variety of methods for delivering video and other media to your cell phone or even to your car.
What issues are before the FCC that you believe have the potential to substantially impact what the media landscape will look like in 2018, or even further out, in 2038?
One of the most significant shifts is broadband deployment. It is critical that we do all we can to invest in broadband infrastructure and networks so that we reach consumers all across the country, including those in rural and underserved areas.
Digital television promises to improve how Americans view and even interact with their televisions. Under today's compression technology, broadcasters are able to multicast several programming streams simultaneously, including in both high-definition and standard-definition formats. As consumers grow accustomed to the concept of one broadcast station providing multiple over-the-air channels, the marketplace may develop many attractive programs that appeal to specialized and niche audiences.
Digital television holds open the prospect for emergence of interactive features. DTV transmissions could include embedded links to provide additional detail about the program on the screen, or allow viewers to choose among camera angles at live events.
Will we have refrigerators that contact the grocery store when we're running low on milk?
Who knows what the future may hold? One thing is for sure: We should never underestimate the influence that technology has on all of our lives. In the communications world, we are beginning to see a transformation in the way we communicate, share and receive information.
When you look back over the past 100 years of communications industry policy and developments, what is the biggest unknown we could not have foreseen?
Again, I would have to say the Internet. Over most of the history of the FCC we have dealt with evolutionary technologies: plain old telephone service, radio and TV broadcasting, mobile radio services, et cetera. The Internet and its impact were largely unforeseen. The idea that you can make a "free" telephone call over the Internet to anywhere in the world, send e-mail, have immediate access to information on any subject, obtain a map with driving directions, or watch video clips, et cetera, has dramatically changed our lives in ways no one could have imagined.
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