Brent Skorup
Tech LiberationFront
Arlington, VA, United States
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Past articles by Brent:
GPS location data and COVID-19 response
I saw a Bloomberg News report that officials in Austria and Italy are seeking (aggregated, anonymized) users’ location data from cellphone companies to see if local and national lockdowns are effective. It’s an interesting idea that raises some possibilities for […] → Read More
Remote Work and the State of US Broadband
To help slow the spread of the coronavirus, the GMU campus is moving to remote instruction and Mercatus is moving to remote work for employees until the risk subsides. GMU and Mercatus employees join thousands of other universities and businesses […] → Read More
Comment on the FAA’s drone Remote ID proposal
Michael Kotrous and I submitted a comment to the FAA about their Remote ID proposals. While we agree with the need for a “digital license plate” for drones, we’re skeptical that requiring an Internet connection is necessary and that an […] → Read More
Impressions from the DOJ Workshop about Section 230
Last week I attended the Section 230 cage match workshop at the DOJ. It was a packed house, likely because AG Bill Barr gave opening remarks. It was fortuitous timing for me: my article with Jennifer Huddleston, The Erosion of […] → Read More
The Top 10 Most-Read Posts of 2019
Technopanics, Progress Studies, AI, spectrum, and privacy were hot topics at the Technology Liberation Front in the past year. Below are the most popular posts from 2019. Glancing at our site metrics over the past 10 years, the biggest topics in […] → Read More
Is Europe Leading the US in Telecom Competition? Notes on Philippon’s “Great Reversal”
After coming across some reviews of Thomas Philippon’s book, The Great Reversal: How America Gave Up on Free Markets, I decided to get my hands on a copy. Most of the reviews and coverage mention the increasing monopoly power of […] → Read More
My testimony to the Pennsylvania Senate about rural broadband
A few weeks ago I was invited to provide testimony about rural broadband policy to the Communications and Technology Committee in the Pennsylvania Senate (video recording of the hearing). My co-panelists were Kathyrn de Wit from Pew and Prof. Sasha […] → Read More
Auto Purchase Trends, Mobility as a Service, and Autonomous Vehicle Adoption
Last month I spoke at the Innovation Summit in Orlando, hosted by the James Madison Institute. My co-panelists on the transportation panel were Jamal Sowell, President and CEO of Enterprise Florida, state representative Jeff Brandes, who introduced Florida’s autonomous vehicle […] → Read More
Locast and deteriorating TV laws
In the US there is a tangle of communications laws that were added over decades by Congress as–one-by-one–broadcast, cable, and satellite technologies transformed the TV marketplace. The primary TV laws are from 1976, 1984, and 1992, though Congress creates minor […] → Read More
Urban air mobility news
The urban air mobility stories keep stacking up in 2019. A few highlights and a few thoughts. Commercial developments There have been tons of urban air mobility announcements, partnerships, and demos in 2019. EHang, the Chinese drone maker, seems to […] → Read More
The net neutrality farce continues, this time in Colorado
Two weeks ago, Gov. Polis signed a bill that generally cuts off Colorado state funds from ISPs that commit “net neutrality violations” in the state. Oddly, I’ve seen no coverage from national outlets and barely a mention from local outlets. […] → Read More
Free-market spectrum policy and the C Band
An interesting divide has opened up in recent months among right-of-center groups about what the FCC should do with the “C Band.” A few weeks ago, the FCC requested public comment on how to proceed with the band. The C […] → Read More
For air taxis, the government can literally make money out of thin air
Every week, it seems, there is a news story about another air taxi startup or test flight. Another signal of interest in industry is that at a House Transportation and Infrastructure hearing last week, Eric Fanning, the President and CEO […] → Read More
State policy and air taxis
Air taxis and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) will receive significant regulator attention in 2019 as companies test these aircraft and move towards commercialization. I’m fairly bullish on the technology and its potential and I’m pleased to see […] → Read More
The Top 10 Most-Read Posts of 2018
Below are the top 10 posts on the Technology Liberation Front in 2018. Everything from privacy, to 5G, to tech monopolies, and net neutrality. Enjoy, and Happy New Year! 10. How Well-Intentioned Privacy Regulation Could Boost Market Power of Facebook […] → Read More
Net neutrality is dead. Long live net neutrality.
One year ago, the FCC majority passed the 2017 Restoring Internet Freedom Order, largely overturning the 2015 Open Internet Order. I consider the 2017 Order the most significant FCC action in a generation. The FCC did a rare thing for […] → Read More
Does net neutrality increase online freedom?
Until recently, I wasn’t familiar with Freedom House’s Freedom on the Net reports. Freedom House has useful recommendations for Internet non-regulation and for protecting freedom of speech. Their Freedom on the Net Reports make an attempt at grading a complex subject: […] → Read More
Some data on wireless networks and cancer rates
By Brent Skorup and Trace Mitchell An important benefit of 5G cellular technology is more bandwidth and more reliable wireless services. This means carriers can offer more niche services, like smart glasses for the blind and remote assistance for autonomous […] → Read More
Don’t game EPA regulations to help DSRC car technology
By Brent Skorup and Michael Kotrous In 1999, the FCC completed one its last spectrum “beauty contests.” A sizable segment of spectrum was set aside for free for the US Department of Transportation (DOT) and DOT-selected device companies to develop […] → Read More
Here’s why state net neutrality laws may encourage ISP filtering
A few states have passed Internet regulations because the Trump FCC, citing a 20 year US policy of leaving the Internet “unfettered by Federal or State regulation,” decided to reverse the Obama FCC’s 2015 decision to regulate the Internet with […] → Read More