Avatar

Mary Brown

Cisco

Mary L. Brown joined Cisco in 2004 and serves as senior director of technology and spectrum policy in Washington, D.C.. Among the issues she follows are homeland security, wireless, and lawful intercept. During her career, she has worked as a consultant, as in-house counsel for the pre-bankruptcy MCI, and for approximately 10 years as a staff lawyer and manager at the Federal Communications Commission. In addition to telecommunications issues, she has substantial experience in Internet law and policy, as well as wireless issues. She holds a J.D. with honors from the Syracuse College of Law, and a Master of Science in telecommunications from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Articles

June 20, 2016

HIGH TECH POLICY

How FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler Sees the 5G Future

2 min read

From Europe to Asia, leading nations are looking to take a leadership position in the next generation of mobile technologies – collectively referred to as “5G”. Funding research, signing Memoranda of Understanding, and using sports venues to create a platform for national champions, these countries understand that 5G will be an important technology. Each of […]

October 8, 2015

HIGH TECH POLICY

The Power of Diversity

1 min read

In the dynamic and fast-changing technology sector, it takes a smart, motivated, diverse workforce to stay ahead of the competition. At Cisco, we are committed to a culture that values...

September 10, 2015

HIGH TECH POLICY

Revising the Storyline – Senate Leadership & New Industry Cooperation for the 5.9 GHz Band

3 min read

A letter from private sector businesses and organizations to the Federal Communications Commission, and Departments of Transportation and Commerce, agreeing on a single set of principles to examine use of the 5.9 GHz band by unlicensed devices, arrives like the fall weather – crisp, clear and a relief from the heat and humidity of summer. […]

January 29, 2015

HIGH TECH POLICY

Statement of Mary Brown on new FCC Rules on 911

1 min read

The FCC today unanimously adopted new rules that will require improved location data to be delivered to 911 call centers from wireless phones. This decision is an important step forward in generating a dispatchable address from wireless phones located indoors, helping ensure that first responders can reach victims as quickly as possible. When fully implemented, […]

January 6, 2015

HIGH TECH POLICY

Setting the record straight: Enterprises should not block personal Wi-Fi as a general rule

2 min read

The FCC, acting on a petition from the hotel industry, has begun an interesting debate: when or whether hotels (or in principle, other enterprises) could ever block Wi-Fi on consumers’ personal devices, like smartphones. For the record, Cisco’s view is that — absent a security threat, attack, or other compelling interest — enterprises should not […]

March 31, 2014

HIGH TECH POLICY

Two Groundbreaking Decisions that Make More Spectrum Available for Broadband and Wi-Fi

2 min read

The FCC made two groundbreaking decisions today to put more radio spectrum to work delivering broadband connectivity to consumers — one which will improve 5 GHz spectrum for Wi-Fi and the second that makes more licensed cellular spectrum available for wireless broadband.  Taken together, these two decisions represent a meaningful down-payment on the 500 MHz of […]

February 27, 2014

HIGH TECH POLICY

The New Spectrum Caucus: Bringing Focus to an Unseen, Indispensable Tool

2 min read

Most Americans don’t know it, but radio spectrum has become an indispensable tool in our daily lives.  Spectrum is the invisible link between our smart phones, tablets, laptops, fitbits, and other mobile devices to the Internet.  It carries the video, voice, text and rich media that has transformed the world around us. Recognizing this reality, […]

February 3, 2014

HIGH TECH POLICY

Statement by Mary Brown on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Decision on Vehicle-to-Vehicle Technology

1 min read

Today’s decision by the US Department of Transportation to move forward with vehicle-to-vehicle safety technology for cars and light trucks is welcome news. Not only does this mark the first use of radio technology that will make our driving experience safer, but it is also the first use of the Intelligent Transportation Service spectrum at […]

October 30, 2013

HIGH TECH POLICY

The FCC’s Moment is Now

2 min read

With Senate confirmation of incoming FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and Republican Commissioner Michael O’Rielly, the FCC is now back at full strength.  A full plate of issues critical to the future of innovation and the national economy now awaits the five men and women who sit atop the agency. Most FCC leadership teams are lucky […]

February 20, 2013

HIGH TECH POLICY

Statement on New FCC Proceeding on Spectrum

“In opening this new proceeding, the FCC will conduct a rigorous and technical examination of whether Wi-Fi technologies can successfully use spectrum that is not in use today without causing harmful interference to existing, or future, radio systems that operate in the same frequency block.  This is of critical importance to U.S. consumers and businesses because Wi-Fi usage […]

February 5, 2013

HIGH TECH POLICY

Global Mobile VNI Reveals Shift in Consumers Usage of Mobile Devices

Cisco’s 2013 Global Mobile Visual Networking Index (VNI) once again shows that mobile networking traffic continues to rise.  Big picture:   by 2017, global mobile data traffic will reach unprecedented levels of 11.1 exabytes per month.  That’s the highest projection we’ve ever made in the Global Mobile VNI.  It’s the same story in the United States.  […]

January 29, 2013

HIGH TECH POLICY

Breaking the Broadband Bottleneck: NTIA Spectrum Sharing Report

2 min read

Last week, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released a report to Congress concerning proposals to expand commercial spectrum sharing opportunities with government and other systems operating at 5 GHz.  This is a direct result of landmark Congressional action last year, when it directed the NTIA and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to examine […]