Science and Technology Studies Commons^™

Residential And Business Broadband Prices Part 1: An Empirical Analysis Of Metering And Other Price Determinants, Scott J. Wallsten, James Riso

Scott J. Wallsten

For this project, we assemble a new dataset consisting of more than 25,000 residential and business broadband plans from all OECD countries from 2007–2009. We explore three issues: the relationship between plan components—such as metering—and consumer prices, price changes over time, and how broadband prices vary across countries.

This paper, part 1 of the project, discusses pricing for broadband plans and, specifically, the relationship between plan components and pricing. We find that residential broadband plans with data caps—plans in which consumers pay a base price for a set amount of data—cost less than plans with unlimited data, other things being …

Technology And Privacy (Editorial), Michael Friedewald, Ronald J. Pohoryles

Michael Friedewald

No abstract provided.

Reconciling Privacy And Security, Marc Van Lieshout, Michael Friedewald, David Wright, Serge Gutwirth

Michael Friedewald

This paper considers the relationship between privacy and security and, in particular, the traditional ‘‘trade-off’’ paradigm. The issue is this: how, in a democracy, can one reconcile the trend towards increasing security (for example, as manifested by increasing surveillance) with the fundamental right of privacy? Our political masters justify their intrusions upon our privacy with proclamations of the need to protect the citizenry against further terrorist attacks like those that have already marred the early twenty-first century. The surveillance industry has been quick to exploit this new market opportunity, supported as it is by inexorable technological ‘‘progress’’ in devising new …

Critical Thinking About Political Problems, Robert Hoppe, Margarita Jeliazkova

Robert Hoppe

No abstract provided.

Two Cheers For The Fcc's Mobility Fund Reverse Auction, Scott J. Wallsten

Scott J. Wallsten

The United States held its first competitive bidding, or “reverse auction,” for universal service subsidies in September 2012. While it is far too early to investigate whether this national auction generated improvements in mobile voice and broadband service in underserved areas, it is not too soon to evaluate the auction itself. This paper investigates the outcome of the Mobility Fund Phase 1 Auction (Auction 901) and considers what we could learn from it for universal service and for future planned reverse auctions, such as the upcoming incentive auction, which aims to reallocate spectrum from broadcasters to those who place a …

Pro-Poor Nanotechnology Applications For Water: Characterizing And Contextualizing Private Sector Research And Development, Matthew Harsh, Thomas Woodson

Thomas Woodson

Nanotechnology has been proposed as a possible solution to the dire problems caused by contaminated water in impoverished communities. We characterize the global landscape of nanotechnology research and development using bibliometric and patent data to ascertain how private firms are using nanotechnology to create improved filters and other technologies that might create benefits for the ‘poor’. Research and development on nanotechnology applications for water is very international, but is occurring mostly in China, the USA and wealthy countries. Nanowater patents focus mostly on filtration systems. Other research areas like nanosensors and desalination have fewer nanowater patens which suggest that those …

Seven Types Of Privacy, Rachel L. Finn, David Wright, Michael Friedewald

Michael Friedewald

No abstract provided.

Wie Verändert Das Internet Die Demokratie?, Ralf Lindner

Ralf Lindner

Obwohl seit dem Aufstieg des Internets zum Massenmedium in den 1990er Jahren Ernüchterung über die Demokratisierungswirkung der neuen Medien eingetreten ist, werden regelmäßig weitreichende Erwartungen über der politische Transformationspotenzial des Internets formuliert. So wird häufig postuliert, dass das Internet demokratische Politik über kurz oder lang fundamental verändern werde, indem universeller Informationszugang ermöglicht, etablierte Machtstrukturen unterminiert und politische Partizipation gesteigert werde. Der Beitrag erörtert zunächst die Hintergründe für populäre Fehlschlüsse, die die Debatte um elektronische Demokratie begleiten. Auf der Grundlage einer kritischen Reflexion mit den ideologisch-normativ imprägnierten Erwartungen an das Internet werden theoretisch wie empirisch robustere Überlegungen zum Beitrag der neuen …

Career-Based Influences On Scientific Recognition In The United States And Europe: Longitudinal Evidence From Curriculum Vitae Data, Jan Youtie, Juan Rogers, Thomas Heinze, Philip Shapira, Li Tang

Philip Shapira

This paper examines how funding patterns, career pathways and collaboration networks influence scientific recognition. We analyze these institutional factors in the early and middle phases of academic careers through comparison of a group of researchers recognized as creative by their peers with a matched group of researchers. Measurement of scientific recognition is based on survey nominations and research prizes in two growing, laboratory-intensive research domains: nanotechnology and human genetics. Curriculum vitae data is used to compare researchers based in the United States and Europe. In the early career model for the United States, we find that scientific recognition is associated …

Citizens’ Perceptions Of Data Protection And Privacy In Europe, Dara Hallinan, Michael Friedewald, Paul Mccarthy

Michael Friedewald

Data protection and privacy gain social importance as technology and data flows play an ever greater role in shaping social structure. Despite this, understanding of public opinion on these issues is conspicuously lacking. This article is a meta-analysis of public opinion surveys on data protection and privacy focussed on EU citizens. The article firstly considers the understanding and awareness of the legal framework for protection as a solid manifestation of the complex concepts of data protection and privacy. This is followed by a consideration of perceptions of privacy and data protection in relation to other social goals, focussing on the …

The Role Of Boundary Organisations In The Social Status Of Climate Change Knowledge, Robert Hoppe, Anne Wesselink, Rose Cairns

Robert Hoppe

A plethora of institutional forms has emerged whose remit is to link climate change science to policy-making. These can be understood as boundary organisations where science and politics meet and intertwine. This article examines the role of boundary organisations in the production and social status of climate change knowledge. A multi-level conceptual model is outlined which demonstrates how context is crucial to understanding the operation and impact of boundary organisations. The framework is applied to analyse climate governance boundary arrangements at the international level and a number of national contexts. In the framing years of the global climate change issue, …

A Trans-Atlantic Conversation On Responsible Innovation And Responsible Governance, Sally Randles, Jan Youtie, David Guston, Barbara Harthorn, Chris Newfield, Philip Shapira, Fern Wickson, Arie Rip, René Von Schomberg, Nick Pidgeon

Philip Shapira

How can innovation be balanced with responsible governance? Responsible innovation and responsible governance are broad concepts which mean different things to different groups. This paper presents the results of a roundtable held at the Society for Nanotechnology and Emerging Technologies (S.NET) 2011 conference with academics and policymakers from Europe and the US. The results of this roundtable discussion raise issues of definition, lack of consensus, and the role of philosophy versus practical intervention.

BüRgersicht Auf Sicherheit Und Privatheit, Michael Friedewald, Johann Cas

Michael Friedewald

Moderne Sicherheitstechniken sollen die Bürger besser vor Terrorismus und organisierter Kriminali- tät schützen. Mittlerweile wird aber angezweifelt, ob ein realer oder gefühlter Sicherheitsgewinn nur durch Einschnitte in die Privatsphäre des Einzelnen zu erreichen ist. Die EU-Forschungsprojekte PRISMS und SurPRISE untersuchen, wie die Ein- stellung europäischer Bürger zu Sicherheit und Privatheit zusammenhängt und wie sich dies für die Gestaltung von akzeptabler grundrechtskonformer Sicherheitstechnik nutzen lässt.

Secondary Markets: The Quiet Economic Value Creator, John Mayo, Scott J. Wallsten

Scott J. Wallsten

No abstract provided.

The Value Of Government Mandated Location-Based Services In Emergencies In Australia, Anas Aloudat, Katina Michael, Roba Abbas, Mutaz M. Al-Debei

Dr. Mutaz M. Al-Debei

The adoption of mobile technologies for emergency management has the capacity to save lives. In Australia in February 2009, the Victorian Bushfires claimed 173 lives, the worst peace-time disaster in the nation’s history. The Australian government responded swiftly to the tragedy by going to tender for mobile applications that could be used during emergencies, such as mobile alerts and location services. These applications, which are becoming increasingly accurate with the evolution of positioning techniques, have the ability to deliver personalized information direct to the citizen during crises, complementing traditional broadcasting mediums like television and radio. Indeed governments have a responsibility …

What Gets Measured Gets Done: Stop Focusing On Irrelevant Broadband Metrics, Scott J. Wallsten

Scott J. Wallsten

Concerns regarding the state of U.S. broadband arises from a combination of focusing on the wrong metrics, a misguided interpretation of consumer preferences, and a popular obsession with rankings. These misperceptions translate into misdirected, if well-intentioned, public policies that waste scarce resources and distract from real issues like a large income-based digital divide.

Testimony On The Role Of Government In Promoting R&D, Scott J. Wallsten

Scott J. Wallsten

No abstract provided.

How To Create A More Efficient Broadband Universal Service Program By Incorporating Demand And Cost-Effectiveness Analysis, Scott J. Wallsten

Scott J. Wallsten

The existing high-cost fund suffers from two inherent flaws: it does not incorporate how much consumers value the services being subsidized, and does not measure the incremental, rather than average, effects of the program. This paper proposes a way to incorporate those factors into the Connect America Fund—the proposed high-cost broadband support program—to enable it to operate more efficiently than the existing high-cost program ever could.

In particular, decisions about where to provide subsidies should be based on cost-effectiveness analyses that explicitly take into account not just the cost of providing service but also how much consumers would value the …

Datenschutzaspekte Smarter Überwachung, Michael Friedewald, Marc Langheinrich

Michael Friedewald

Kurz&bündig Moderne «intelligente» Überwachungssysteme sollen den Bürger besser vor Terrorismus und organisierter Kriminalität schützen, greifen potentiell aber tief in die Privatsphäre des Einzelnen ein. Das EU-Forschungsprojekt SAPIENT untersucht die Risiken solcher intelligenten Überwachungstechniken und erarbeitet Verfahren, um diese im Einklang mit Menschenrechten und unter Beachtung des sozialen und gemeinschaftlichen Zusammenhalts gestalten zu können.

Broadening Participation Through E-Petitions? An Empirical Study Of Petitions To The German Parliament, Ralf Lindner

Ralf Lindner

Petitioning is a well established form of political participation in most liberal democracies, but little is known about petitioners, their socio-demographics, motivations and assessments of petitioning processes. In 2005, the German parliament introduced public e-petitions which are submitted, signed and discussed on the Internet. This article reports a 2007 survey of 571 traditional and 350 e-petitioners. The results indicate that both petitioner samples are characterised by an above average level of general political participation and Internet use. Users of the e-petition system are younger than traditional petitioners, but the group continues to be dominated by men and those with higher …

Hacia La Construcción De Políticas Públicas Globales: Retos Para El Estado Nación De Cara A La Globalización, Mario A. Pinzón Mapc

Mario A Pinzón Camargo

Este artículo analiza los efectos en la idea de Estado nación bajo la lógica de la globalización. Examina los retos para el Estado en la construcción de políticas públicas globales, la definición de una nueva agenda global y un nuevo sistema institucional desarrollado bajo la lógica de la gobernanza global.

Secondary Spectrum Markets As Complements To Incentive Auctions, Scott J. Wallsten, John W. Mayo

Scott J. Wallsten

No abstract provided.

Construyendo Políticas Públicas Globales: Una Aproximación Al Marco Teórico De Estudio. Working Paper N. 5, Mario A. Pinzón Mapc

Mario A Pinzón Camargo

El objetivo de este artículo es proporcionar un marco teórico a partir del cual sea posible hablar de las políticas públicas globales, como categoría de análisis de la gobernanza global. Se presenta una aproximación teórica basada en la teoría de la elección racional.

Pricing Strategies In A Digital World, Laura Martin, Scott J. Wallsten

Scott J. Wallsten

No abstract provided.

The Universal Service Fund: What Do High-Cost Subsidies Subsidize?, Scott J. Wallsten

Scott J. Wallsten

The universal service program in the United States currently transfers about $7.5 billion per year from telephone subscribers to certain telephone companies. Those funds are intended to help achieve particular policy goals, such as subsidizing telephone service in rural areas and making phone service more affordable to low-income people. The bulk of the funds, about $4.5 billion per year, subsidizes firms operating in high-cost areas. A large literature documents the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of these subsidies, raising the question of where the money goes. This paper uses data submitted by about 1,400 recipients of high-cost subsidies from 1998 – 2008 …

El Desarrollo De La Ciencia Política En México. Una Mirada A Través De Los Estudios Sobre El Estado De La Disiciplina, J. R. Joel Flores-Mariscal

J. R. Joel Flores-Mariscal

Se presenta una revisión de los títulos publicados hasta 2009 que han analizado la situación de la ciencia política en México o algún aspecto de ésta. Destaca el crecimiento y la diversificación de autores e instituciones, de las revistas publicadas y de los enfoques y temas recurrentes. Hasta fines de los años noventa se ven autores recurrentes y momentos de auge en las publicaciones asociados a coyunturas como congresos, procesos de modificación a planes de estudio, etc., Después de estos años hay la emergencia de nuevos autores y enfoques de estudio, y que el desarrollo de estos trabajos en su …

If Post-Normal Science Is The Solution, What Is The Problem?, Robert Hoppe, Anne Wesselink

Robert Hoppe

Post-normal science (PNS) is presented by its proponents as a new way of doing science that deals with uncertainties, value diversity or antagonism, and high decision stakes and urgency, with the ultimate goal of remedying the pathologies of the global industrial system for which, according to Funtowicz and Ravetz (1993, 739) existing science forms the basis. We critically examine whether PNS can fulfil this claim in the light of empirical and theoretical work on politics and policymaking. We credit PNS as innovative frontrunner in raising important issues regarding the limited problem-solving capacity of ‘normal science’ and ‘professional consultancy’. Yet, we …

The Use Of Environmental Health And Safety Research In Nanotechnology Research, Jan Youtie, Alan L. Porter, Philip Shapira, Li Tang, Troy Benn

Philip Shapira

Environmental, health, and safety (EHS) concerns are receiving considerable attention in the development of nanoscience and nanotechnology (nano) R&D, underscored by the perspective that EHS work should be developed alongside the scientific research rather than subsequent to applications. This positioning of nano EHS suggests the importance of early understanding and measurement of the diffusion of nano EHS science. This research examines the diffusion of nano EHS publications, defined through a set of search terms, into a global nanotechnology R&D database developed at Georgia Tech. The results indicate that nano EHS research is growing rapidly although it is orders of magnitude …

Minimizing Technology Risks With Pias, Precaution And Participation, Raphael Gellert, David Wright, Serge Gutwirth, Michael Friedewald

Michael Friedewald

Privacy impact assessment can be seen as a tool for responsible research and innovation (RRI). RRI can be defined as a transparent, interactive process by which societal actors and innovators become mutually responsive to each other with a view on the (ethical) acceptability, sustainability and societal desirability of the innovation process and its marketable products in order to allow a proper embedding of scientific and technological advances in our society [1]. Such a definition is close to how one could define privacy impact assessment (PIA), i.e., PIA is a process of engaging stakeholders in order to consider how privacy might …

Computersoftware Als Digitales Erbe: Probleme Aus Sicht Der Technikgeschichte, Michael Friedewald, Timo Leimbach

Michael Friedewald

No abstract provided.