On December 1st, 2005, the Phoenix Center held its Fifth Annual U.S. Telecoms Symposium in Washington, D.C.

Once again, the Symposium kicked-off with the traditional “economists’ panel.”  This year, this panel included Dr. Charles Goldfarb – Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, Dr. Michael Pelcovits – MiCRA and former Chief Economist, MCI; and Dr. George Ford, Chief Economist – The Phoenix Center.

As always, the panel was moderated by Honorary Phoenix Center Chief Economist Emeritus, and current FCC International Bureau Chief Economist, Jerry Duvall.

The second panel of the day, moderated by newly-appointed Acting FCC Inspector General and long-time Phoenix Center Adjunct Fellow Dr. Kent Nilsson, examined the role of video in broadband deployment.  Panelists included Larry Irving, Internet Innovation Alliance; Dan Brenner, Senior Vice President for Law and Regulatory Policy – NCTA; Donna Gregg, Chief – Media Bureau, Federal Communications Commission; and Thomas M. Koutsky, Resident Scholar – The Phoenix Center.

The last panel of the day, moderated by Phoenix Center President Lawrence J. Spiwak, examined “Who Speaks for New Entrants in any Telecom Act Rewrite?”  Panelists included Earl Comstock, President and CEO – Comptel; Bruce Byrd, Vice President and General Counsel, Washington Office – AT&T; Bobby Franklin, Vice President, Government Affairs – CTIA; and the Hon. Connie O. Hughes, Commissioner – New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.

The Symposium ended with the presentation of the Phoenix Center’s Annual Jerry B. Duvall Public Service Award to Commissioner Michael J. Copps of the Federal Communications Commission.  Significantly, the Duvall Award does not seek to recognize the recipient’s personal politics; rather, the Duvall Award goes to the policymaker who most demonstrated the “political courage in, and contribution of analytical rigor to, the United States telecoms restructuring debate.”