On the final panel at Web 2.0, Kleiner Perkins venture capitalist John Doerr really went after the cellular telecom companies (Verizon and AT&T), explaining why he is fighting so hard to influence the rules of the next auction of 700MHz wireless spectrum. Doerr is on the board of Google, which has committed to bid $4.6 billion in the auction, and is an investor in Frontline Wireless, which is also a key player in helping to shape the auction’s rules. Doerr explains why this fight is so important:
This is the last auction. It is the last opportunity in our lifetime (for the United States). Otherwise, there will continue to be a duopoly. A lot is at stake. How will the next Internet be controlled?
Can we win or not? I don’t know. If there is a real revolution, there are losers as well as winners. Will the incumbent wireless systems see disruptive change or very gradual evolution?
He also implored the entrepreneurs in the room to do something about climate change:
The size of this problem is enormous. It is the biggest problem we all face. We share one atmosphere. Never underestimate the power of a handful of dedicated entrepreneurs to change the world, because in my experience that is the only thing that ever has.
I’m sure Margaret Mead would agree.
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John was really fascinating.
He took charge in motivating the whole crowd to face the facts, take a stand, and to take action! Both regarding the climate changes and the 700MHz wireless spectrum auction.
It truly think this was one of high points of this conference.
“Never underestimate a handful of entrepreneurs”
- Doerr, Web2.0 Summit 2007.
It is somewhat humorous that two of the ads on this page (at least as I am viewing it) are for Verizon. I’m guessing these are contextual Adsense ads.
did anyone ask him how his republican self felt about the war in iraq and the deficit?
To david, I only see at&t…haha
But yea I would love to read up more about this. I am lost..haha
Cheeky Margaret Meade reference, Erick. I knew that bit sounded familiar…
Only entrepreneurs change the world. Spoken like a guy who gives businessmen a bad name. Maybe Einstein, Galileo, Darwin, Aristotle, Caesar, Napoleon, Ghandi and others were all entrepreneurs after all.
As for global warming being our chief concern, well, he must be smarter than that statement would indicate. Global warming creeps up slowly, and we still have time to slow it down, or at least to re-distribute people and resources to compensate. Disasters associated with nuclear proliferation, on the other hand, will emerge in the blink of an eye, and may render impossible the global cooperation that can still precede serious climate-related disaster.
As for the telcos - I’d love to see their control weakened, but it’s hard to believe that there won’t be some new technology to do tomorrow what politicians may fail to do today.
If anything needs to be stopped it’s Google’s monopoly over online ad revenue and their ability to charge BILLIONS for clicks from competitors and other worthless clicks. I have seen ads go from .25 to 10 in 3 years for the same keywords and the quality of the clicks is worse than ever.
Google keeps the focus on MS but somebody better start watching that fox more closely.
I’d love to see the telcos obliterated. And then, in the next few generations, I hope to see the webcos obliterated by whatever rises to replace them.
Viva la Capitalism!
jenny,
Google may be making obscene profits, but it is not currently interfering with your access to any content via the Internet. On the other hand, due to industry concentration maintained largely by FCC fiat, Comcast has taken the lead among the duopoly players in actively interfering with its customers’ access to content, albeit only on P2P network-sourced content for now. Rest assured, however, that you are only seeing the camel’s nose under the edge of the tent. If they get away with one type of “access control”, only more will follow. And if they get away with it, you better bet your sweet little booty that ATT & Verizon will be right behind them.
There is only one remedy to this situation - real competition - and it requires that the FCC be removed from the playing field somehow (which in reality means through some type of new legislation). While I am an ardent capitalist and typically a supporter of Republican politicians. I must admit that Kevin Martin has his nostrils (and future wallet) so far up the telcos butt that he no longer knows what stinks and what doesn’t. Powell was a much more honest and effective FCC Chairman, and the chairman unfortunately exercises far too much control over US telecom/Internet policy. Without a third seriously well funded (and preferably a fourth) competitor to the cable/telco duopoly, the US will be doomed to the collective mediocrity that these companies represent. These comments are not idle speculation, but the result of 15 years of industry experience, half of that being at one of those bastions of mediocrity, an RBOC.
People have complained about Microsoft for decades, and Google for a couple of years, but neither has ever effectively eliminated your access to content. Comcast has and ATT has stated their desire to do so. What else do you need to know? Keep your eye on the ball that matters.
@8 and @9
I couldn’t agree with you more and … I could have not said it better.
The real issue for the wireless/telco market in the US is to open up the handset market to all Asian companies AND at the same time relinquish control of the airwaves to citizens who see these changes in technology as a direct correlation to their constitutional rights - freedom of press, speech and the dissemination of public information and content. I would rather see citizens fighting for this, rather than big corporations.. However, the telcos see what lies ahead and are probably reviewing new business models. The Google rep, in my opinion, seems like a boob. Google is the gateway to information. Why do they need to enter the telco space? Focus, Google, focus. The telcos won’t charge you as much as they will the end user… Maybe I’m clueless… I guess.
@3: Jeff:
John Doerr was once a Republican, but has been a supporter of Democratic candidates and causes for quite a while now. He contributed almost $2M of his own money in support of the Stem Cell Research ballot proposition (Prop. 71). Back in 1999, he organized fundraisers for Al Gore. Since candidates and propositions are required to post their list of contributors, it’s easy to see who has given to whom. Many of his (and his wife’s) contributions to Democratic campaign committees are shown at http://tinyurl.com/2q3s8e (link to opensecrets.org).
Web 2.0! Yeah I was there. I stole the show too, all while drunk!
http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com
Now what purpose did it serve for Doerr to publicly announce his desire to take down the Telcos(while essentially working w/Google)?
If you had access to that much power would you publicly threaten your rivals…
@12: Tony and Mr. Doerr
My sincere apologies. Education accepted.