ITIF Welcomes Joe Kane as New Director of Broadband and Spectrum Policy

WASHINGTON—The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the leading think tank for science and technology policy, welcomes Joe Kane to its staff as the director of broadband and spectrum policy. Kane will lead ITIF’s work on broadband policy as it relates to technological innovation, productivity, and competitiveness.

“I’m excited to join the fantastic team at ITIF, and I can’t wait to get started,” said Joe Kane. “I’ll be continuing ITIF’s work on ways to make productive use of spectrum in a world where radio frequencies are becoming both more important and more crowded. We’ll also continue to look for the best regulatory environment to promote broadband deployment and adoption. I look forward to helping find creative policy solutions to enable greater connectivity for all.”

Previously, Kane served as a technology policy fellow at the R Street Institute, where he covered spectrum policy, broadband deployment and regulation, competition, and consumer protection. Earlier, Joe was a graduate research fellow at the Mercatus Center, where he worked on Internet policy issues, telecom regulation, and the role of the FCC.

As director of broadband and spectrum policy, Kane will focus on the nexus of broadband issues and expand on ITIF’s previous work. ITIF believes the government and the private sector play vital roles in ensuring United States telecommunications networks develop to their fullest potential. While the private sector is guided by facilities-based competition, it is primarily responsible for providing broadband services; in contrast, the government must provide important support in spectrum management, closing the digital divide, and engaging in light-touch regulation.

In welcoming Kane, ITIF President Robert D. Atkinson said: “There is no shortage of critical broadband and spectrum policy issues, especially as we enter 2021, and the Biden administration must manage the billions of dollars in broadband grants from the infrastructure legislation. We are excited that Joe is joining ITIF to help policymakers and administrators to move U.S. broadband forward effectively.”