2012 research announcement - research program on digital
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January 2012
Dear Colleague:
On behalf of Time Warner Cable, we are pleased to announce the third
year of our Research Program on Digital Communications. The aim of
the Research Program is to tap into the best minds in the academic and
public policy communities and stimulate research into the challenges
facing the telecommunications industry.
The Research Program awards stipends to generate reports that we
hope will provide new information, insights, and practical advice. Since
the creation of the Research Program in 2010, the Research Program has
awarded 16 stipends to 23 leading researchers across the United States.
During our third year, we will examine the following research topic areas:
the end-user experience for broadband services; network reliability,
security, and privacy; Internet governance; the future of localism in com-
munications policy; video convergence and Internet video; and science,
technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.
The deadline for applications for our third year of competition will be
April 1, 2012, and November 1, 2012. We encourage you to visit the Research
Program’s website and to follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/twc_rp.
Our website (www.twcresearchprogram.com) includes the Research
Program’s publications.
In the coming year, we hope that the Time Warner Cable Research
Program will play an important role in helping to increase our under-
standing of the challenges and opportunities created by digital
technologies in the decade ahead.
For questions regarding the Research Program, Fernando can be
reached by e-mail at [email protected] or
at (202) 370-4245.
Gail G. MacKinnon
Fernando R. Laguarda
Gail G. MacKinnon
Executive Vice President and
Chief Government Relations Officer
Time Warner Cable
Fernando R. Laguarda
Vice President, External Affairs
and Policy Counselor
Time Warner Cable
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Overview
About the Time Warner Cable Research Program on Digital Communications
The Time Warner Cable Research Program on Digital Communications
will be dedicated to increasing public understanding of the benefits and
challenges facing the future of digital technologies in the home, office,
classroom, and community.
The Research Program will focus on the following areas:
• Increasing knowledge about the marketplace and the consumer
• Increasing knowledge about digital technologies
• Increasing knowledge about communications policy
• Increasing knowledge about innovation in digital communications
About the Research Stipends
Individuals receiving a stipend should produce a 25- to 35-page report.
The report should be submitted no later than six months after the start
of the project.
Proposals from any discipline with research interest in digital communications
will be considered. Multidisciplinary research teams, consisting of two or
more authors from different fields, are encouraged.
Size of Stipend: $20,000
Application Deadlines for 2012 Awards: April 1, 2012 and November 1, 2012
Submitting Applications: Applications should be submitted online at
www.twcresearchprogram.com. Applicants should submit:
• A three-page description of the proposed project
• A resumé (no more than three pages per author)
Applicants will be notified when their application is received and when the
proposal review process is completed.
About Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC) is among the largest providers of video,
high-speed data and voice services in the United States, connecting more
than 14 million customers to entertainment, information and each other.
Time Warner Cable Business Class offers data, video and voice services
to businesses of all sizes, cell tower backhaul services to wireless carriers
and, through its NaviSite subsidiary, managed and outsourced information
technology solutions and cloud services. Time Warner Cable Media, the
advertising arm of Time Warner Cable, offers national, regional and local
companies innovative advertising solutions. More information about the
services of Time Warner Cable is available at www.timewarnercable.com,
www.twcbc.com and www.twcmediasales.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Who is eligible to receive a research stipend?
A. Scholars affiliated with either an
academic or nonprofit organization
are eligible.
Q. Are graduate students eligible to receive a research stipend?
A. Yes. Graduate students may be part of a
team submitting an application, but they
cannot be the primary author(s).
Q. Can I write on any topic related to digital communications?
A. No. Proposals must address one of the
topics presented on pages 3–4.
Q. Are you open to questions other than those listed in the topic areas?
A. Yes. Individuals may propose additional
questions within each topic area.
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Research Topics for 2012
Proposals should address one of the following areas:
(1) The end-user experience for broadband services
In an increasingly competitive marketplace, more attention is being paid to the consumer experience. For service
providers, it is essential to make it simpler and easier for customers to enjoy the benefits of broadband any time,
any place, on any device. Key questions include identifying service characteristics consumers consider in evaluat-
ing broadband performance, the role of accessibility in design and engineering, how best to encourage innovation
in services and business models, the role of pricing and packaging of services, and how best to meet the needs of
diverse communities.
(2) Network reliability, security, and privacy
Network operators have been investing substantially in their networks to facilitate and accommodate advanced
technologies, and evaluating how best to increase capacity and provide expanded broadband capabilities.
Understanding how to balance increasing demands on the broadband platform while also addressing important
requirements for reliability, security, and privacy pose important challenges. Key questions include the future of
network design and engineering, the future of the home networking environment, and the future challenges of
cybersecurity.
(3) Internet governance
Internet governance is still largely framed by the way the Internet existed when it first became a mass-market
phenomenon in the late 1990s. But more users rely on advanced digital communications for a diverse set of uses
today. Networks and devices are more varied and more powerful than expected, and the Internet now supports
a vast range of business models and drives economic growth . In this environment, the role of government
and other intermediaries in framing and addressing policy goals continues to change. Key questions include
examining the need for new methods of collaboration in multi-stakeholder processes, examining the role of stan-
dard-setting, how to measure and assess the performance of the broadband Internet, developing metrics that are
meaningful to a wide range of stakeholders (from industry and policymakers to consumers), how to develop new
forms of governance that convene stakeholders to solve problems cooperatively, and how to develop guidelines
that protect settled expectations as well as enable continuing entry and innovation.
(4) The future of localism in communications policy
The promotion of localism has long been a focus of communications policy in this country. As consumers migrate
away from newspapers, broadcast television, and radio, with many preferring to obtain news and information
from the Internet, the effects of that transition are widely debated. Consumers undoubtedly have access to more
information and diverse voices than ever before. But as traditional media encounter shrinking audiences, they are
challenged to deliver high-quality local content. Key questions include the impact of migrating locally oriented
programming to the Internet and cable television, how to measure and promote “localism”, and addressing regula-
tory barriers to the creation and delivery of content to meet the needs of local communities.
(5) Video Convergence and Internet Video
Online video is growing rapidly, comprising an increasing proportion of Internet traffic even as workable busi-
ness models continue to evolve. Internet video thus increasingly competes with more traditional video services,
while at the same time placing extraordinary burdens on the broadband networks owned and operated by those
competitors. This emerging development raises a host of issues for video competition and regulation as well as for
broadband policy. Key questions include how to identify and respond to the challenges posed by Internet delivery
of video, and identifying the marketplace, legal, and policy barriers that stand in the way of innovation in video
service delivery.
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Research Topics for 2012
(6) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education
While there has been a revolution in digital communications in the past couple of decades, it is not clear that
educators (both in-school and out-of-school) have been able to take advantage of it to its fullest. Digital technol-
ogy can help to bridge the gap by connecting people in less-advantaged situations with others to form learning
communities that can be more equitable. This is especially crucial for STEM education as 80% of all future careers
will demand knowledge of science and technology. In particular, the out-of-school-time space (e.g., after-school
programs and museums) receives very little attention and resources. Questions for further study include how
digital communications capabilities can expand beyond the limited set of educational offerings available today,
how technology can be utilized to provide ongoing/on-demand professional development to educators, and how
technology can be utilized to connect out-of-school learning programs so that geography does not determine the
quality of educational opportunities and exposure.