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Research Announcement

2012

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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 fernando.laguarda@twcresearchprogram.com 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.

For more information:

Fernando Laguarda 901 F Street, NW Suite 800 Washington, DC 20004 Phone: (202) 370-4245

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