The FCC plans to open its new technology center for its employees at the Portals on Wednesday.
Not all of its employees can go to industry tradeshows and see technology developed by the industries the commission regulates; this is intended as a way of bringing the tradeshow exhibit hall experience to the Portals.
The “Technology Experience Center” will be located in the commission’s library. Announced last October; the idea is to have one place at the agency where employees and guests can learn about new products and communications devices. The agency will accept the devices as donations.
On tap for the opening Wednesday morning will be representatives from 20 companies, including tech developers known to Radio World readers like iBiquity Digital, Livio Radio and Grooveshark, plus a variety of wireless and video vendors as well as the Open Mobile Video Coalition.
The FCC chairman and most of the commissioners are expected to attend the ribbon-cutting. So are Michael Powell, former FCC chairman and now president of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association; Kevin Gage, NAB chief technology officer; Julie Kearney, vice president of regulatory affairs for the Consumer Electronics Association; and Parul Desai, communications policy council for the Consumers Union.
Each month, the FCC will spotlight technologies around a specific theme. This month’s theme is “Innovation & Spectrum.”
