NEWS
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This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action.  Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action.
See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974).
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:
January 5, 2011 Jen Howard: (202)-418-0506
E-mail: jen.howard@fcc.gov
FCC ANNOUNCES OPEN INTERNET APPS CHALLENGE
Washington, DC -- Today the FCC announced a challenge to researchers and software developers to engage in 
research and create apps that help consumers foster, measure, and protect Internet openness. The Open Internet 
Challenge is part of the FCC’s efforts to empower end users to help preserve Internet openness. Details of the 
challenge are posted at openinternet.gov/challenge.
“This challenge is about using the open Internet to protect the open Internet,” said FCC Chairman Julius 
Genachowski. “Our goal is to foster user-developed applications that shine light on any practice that might be 
inconsistent with the free and open Internet. Empowering consumers with information about their own 
connections will promote a vibrant, innovative, world-leading broadband ecosystem.”
The Open Internet Challenge seeks to encourage the development of innovative and functional applications 
that provide users with information about the extent to which their fixed or mobile broadband Internet services 
are consistent with the open Internet. These software tools could, for example, detect whether a broadband 
provider is interfering with DNS responses, application packet headers, or content.
The research component of the challenge seeks academic papers that analyze relevant Internet openness 
measurements, techniques, and data. The challenge is designed to encourage and reward the creation 
innovative and useful research. 
The winners of the Open Internet Challenge will be invited to FCC headquarters in Washington, D.C., to 
present their work to the Commission and be honored with an FCC Chairman’s reception. Winners will have 
their apps and research featured on the FCC’s website and social media outlets. Winners will be reimbursed 
for authorized travel expenses.
The Open Internet Challenge is posted on Challenge.gov, a new website and digital platform where 
entrepreneurs, innovators, and citizen solvers can compete for prizes by providing novel solutions to problems 
large and small.
The submission deadline for the challenge is June 1, 2011, and a public voting period will run from June 15, 
2011 through July 15, 2011. The winner of the public vote will receive the People’s Choice Award. Other 
award category winners will be chosen by a panel of expert judges. Winners will be announced in August 
2011.
For additional information, contact Jordan Usdan at jordan.usdan@fcc.gov
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