You’ve no doubt seen some of the stunning new electronics innovations to come out of last week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2010: ultra-thin tablet PCs, televisions that display three-dimensional pictures, and motion sensing video game systems. There may be one exhibit you haven’t heard about – apparently Aneesh Chopra, the U.S. Chief Technology Officer, and a whole host of other lawmakers and Federal Communications Commission staff, attended the premier tech conference, touting the merits of the Obama administration’s broadband plan and speaking about the need for innovation and technology standards.
It seems as if the government presence was not completely appreciated, however. According to the BBC, Consumer Electronics Association president Gary Shapiro chided Chopra for government intervention in the tech sector:
“When it comes to innovation there’s a lot the government can do, and there’s a lot they should not do,” said consumer industry head Gary Shapiro.
“The government doesn’t spur innovation or entrepreneurship. The government often gets in the way,” said Mr Shapiro, president of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) which stages CES.
Shapiro also spoke out against the “panic spending” of the stimulus plan, high taxes, and regulatory barriers. These government tech officials would be wise to learn from this input – rather than focusing on broad technology planning, policymakers may be best served to liberalize current restrictions in the tech arena. As Jerry Brito pointed out in an earlier post, one key initiative should involve shifting FCC-controlled spectrum to the private sector.
Furthermore, as the Obama administration seeks to institute universal broadband service, policymakers ought to describle the key outcomes they plan to achieve with the program. Thus far, goals have been vague, and a lack of intended outcomes could lead to an inefficient program that may hurt innovation and the spread of connectivity.
The gadgets at the CES may have been the public’s highlight of the show, but perhaps the government has something more important to pay attention to than mere gadgets.
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