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Cisco Government
Affairs E-Update
Volume
1, Issue 10
20 April 2001
Brought to
you by Cisco Government Affairs Online: www.cisco.com/gov
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This Week@Cisco
in Government Affairs
CISCO@INTERNATIONAL
As reported in National Journal’s TechDaily: “Dan
Scheinman, Cisco System's senior vice president for corporate affairs,
has one word for the leaders of the Western hemisphere: broadband. "This
is the meta-issue for technology," Scheinman said in an interview
Wednesday. "This really is the broadband decade." Scheinman will get his chance to convey that message directly on
Sunday, when he delivers the keynote speech to the 34 leaders gathered
at the Third Summit of the Americas in Quebec City, Quebec. Scheinman plans to give the leaders a basic lesson in economics.
The difference in the economic health of countries in the long run is
increasing productivity, he said, and high-speed Internet access is
the key to increasing productivity.”
EU council reaches political agreement for directives on framework,
authorisation, access and interconnection; EU
revised framework for e-communications network and services: The
Council reached political agreement on its common positions with a view
to adopting three Directives included in the revised telecommunications
regulation package. http://europa.eu.int/ISPO/infosoc/telecompolicy/review99/Welcome.html
ECTA HAS PUBLISHED ITS LOCAL LOOP SCORECARD - an analysis of
the relative success of different EU Member States in opening up the
local loop of their incumbent telecoms operators to competition. http://www.ectaweb.org/new_ecta/ecta_home/geneva_release.htm
TAIWAN -- A LAND APART - Despite its small population,
Taiwan is expected to increase its internet use substantially in the
coming years. http://www.emarketer.com/analysis/easia/20010413_asia.html?ref=wn
ONLINE IN THE ANDES - eLatin America analyst Noah
Elkin explains that political turmoil and economic upheaval in both
Ecuador and Peru have stunted the growth of the internet market in the
region. http://www.emarketer.com/analysis/elatin_america/20010412_latam.html?ref=wn
BROADBAND IN THE UK - Through first-hand experience,
broadband analyst Ben Macklin explains that while the demand for broadband
in the UK is apparent, availability is still limited.
http://www.emarketer.com/analysis/broadband/20010410_bband.html?ref=wn
3G IN ASIA - Japan and South Korea are leading the
way with granting 3G licenses, but four other countries in Asia will
follow suit this year. http://www.emarketer.com/analysis/wireless/20010410_wireless.html?ref=wn
WORLDCOM TAKES ON ASIA - Asia's potential need for
Internet connection is driving the creation of another regional network
to carry the anticipated load of Web traffic in coming years.
http://special.scmp.com/NLet/NLet.asp?Sec=technology&SSec=internet&Id=ZZZ1FQEVKLC
(free registration required)
INTERNET NAMES GO INTERNATIONAL - http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/business/AP-Non-English-Internet.html
(free registration required)
CISCO@WASHINGTON, DC
FCC RESOLVES CARRIER COMPENSATION
RULES FOR INTERNET TRAFFIC - http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/2001/nrcc0114.html
U.S. VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY BACKS PERMANENT R&D
TAX CREDIT AND INTERNET TAX MORATORIUM - http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010418/wr/tech_cheney_dc_1.html
National Journal’s TechDaily reported this week that the Republican
Main Street Partnership, a group of 53 House and Senate GOP members,
will introduce the set of seven policy proposals, mostly related to
temporary tax credits or deductions, during its tour of Silicon Valley
companies this week. The proposals
include a temporary tax credit aimed at providing a stimulus for businesses
to make investments in plants and equipment that they might otherwise
postpone. In the past, the credit was 10 percent of the purchase price.
Another idea is a five-year tax credit to spur companies to roll
out broadband services in rural areas. The partnership noted that the
United States is lagging behind other countries in bringing high-speed
Internet access to homes, schools and businesses. The cost estimate
is $2.2 billion over five years.
Cisco’s Julie Williams, Customer Solutions Manager
(Federal), presented Cisco’s Internet Business Solutions Group (www.cisco.com/ibsg) message this week to
the Staff Director and Chief Counsel of the House subcommittee on Technology
and Procurement Policy. The
subcommittee is Chaired by Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) a strong proponent
of information technology in government.
Michael Timmeny, Cisco’s Washington Representative, and Michael
Garcia, Business Development Manager (Civilian Agencies) participated
in the briefing.
National Journal’s CongressDaily reported this week
that House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman W.J. (Billy) Tauzin,
R-La., and ranking Democrat John Dingell, Mich., "probably"
will introduce their long-awaited broadband Internet bill next week. The bill would remove Federal Communications Commission regulations
on the regional Bell operating companies that, the Bells say, reduce
their incentive to build expensive high-speed Internet networks.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee has scheduled
a hearing on the
much-anticipated bill on high-speed Internet access
for April 25. The hearing will
be before the full committee rather than the Telecommunications and
the Internet Subcommittee.
SENATORS URGE FCC TO FORGE BROADBAND PLAN BY JULY
http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/164511.html
FCC INITIATES A BROAD-RANGING PROCEEDING TO EXPLORE
WAYS OF
REFORMING INTERCARRIER COMPENSATION
RULES - http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/2001/nrcc0113.html
CISCO@US STATES
This week State Gov't Affairs Manager Michelle Mallory
Peacock and Internet Business Solutions Group Consultant Michele Grisham
met with state officials in Sacramento to discuss e-Government strategies
for the state of California, with a goal of continuing the strong momentum
that leaders kicked off in January with the launch of the state's portal.
Georgia Governor signs bill for state to use touch screen voting
- http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/epaper/editions/thursday/local_news_a3edc87d60a852190047.html
IT JOBS INCREASING IN US - http://www.wired.com/news/ebiz/0,1272,43101,00.html
SCHOOLS SLOWLY TURNING TO E-BOOKS - http://www.civic.com/civic/articles/2001/0416/web-ebooks-04-19-01.asp
SITE OF THE WEEK –
Summit of Americas
The Summit of the Americas, occurring
this weekend in Quebec, Canada, is a gathering of the democratically
elected leaders of 34 nations from North America, Latin America and
the Caribbean island states.
The Summits main purpose is to reinvigorate
the drive to create a vast trading bloc from Canada in the north to
Chile in the south, encompassing 800 million people and with a combined
output of $11 trillion in goods and services.
www.americascanada.org
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS HIGH TECH COMMUNITY
Issue of the week: Broadband Deployment - Add your thoughts
at Cisco’s High Tech Community - http://forums.cisco.com/cgi-bin/Community/HtCom?page=main.
FACTS AND STATS OF THE WEEK:
SURF’S UP - A 13 April 2001 Jupiter Media Metrix report
shows a rise in web usage in the United States. Americans now spend
more than 20 hours per month online, an increase of 57% in the past
two years. The average time spent per online session increased from
12.8 hours to 20.2 hours between March 1999 and March 2001, though the
number of days of web usage per month went up just 5.6% during that
span.
MORE LEARNING, MORE EARNING - International Data Corp.
(IDC) reports that worldwide
revenue derived from corporate e-learning will reach
more than $23 billion by 2004. Revenues are projected to grow at a 69%
compound annual growth rate, with Western Europe becoming the fastest
growing market with a 97% rate. North America will remain the largest
market for corporate e-learning, representing 2/3 of total worldwide
revenues.
SOUTH KOREAN INTERNET USE INCREASING - Internet use
among South Koreans is on the rise, according to the country’s Ministry
of Information and Communication. 48.6%
of the population over the age of seven, or 20.9 million people, access
the web at least once a month as of March 2001 – an increase of 3.9%
from December 2000. 19.56 million
people over age seven are frequent users, logging on more than once
a week.
For more Facts and Stats on the New Economy, visit our Facts and Stats page.
Also, see our special State of the Internet report on this page.
For daily, topical Facts and Stats visit our Hot In Tech page.
TECH NEWS STORIES OF THE WEEK
THE WIRED WEST: INTERNET PENETRATION LEVELS IN THE
US - In March 2001, the top three cities in the US with the highest
internet penetration levels (roughly 70%) were all in the Pacific Northwest.
http://www.emarketer.com/estatnews/estats/edemographics/20010411_us_households_online.html?ref=wn
INTEL CO-FOUNDER GORDON MOORE, 72, reached the mandatory
retirement age of Intel directors and is stepping down. His successor
will be Reed Hundt, 53, who chaired the Federal Communications Commission
from 1993 to 1997 and more recently served as a venture partner with
Menlo Park, CA's Benchmark Capital. Moore is perhaps best known for
"Moore's Law," his realization that semiconductor manufacturers
double the performance of chips about every 18 months.
ASIA-PACIFIC B2B BOOM FORECAST - Despite a worldwide
bearish attitude toward technology stocks and firms, Asia-Pacific companies
are forecast to buy and sell US$516 billion worth of goods over the
Internet by 2005, a "phenomenal increase" from the US$12.8
billion spent last year, research firm International Data Corp (IDC)
said in a recent report.
http://special.scmp.com/NLet/NLet.asp?Sec=technology&SSec=internet&Id=ZZZDJHCVKLC
(free registration required)
THE METROPOLITAN NEW ECONOMY INDEX FROM THE PROGRESSIVE
POLICY INSTITUTE examined 16 economic indicators in categories such
as knowledge jobs and technological innovation to determine its rankings
of top metropolitan areas in the U.S. http://www.neweconomyindex.org/metro/index.html
WIRELESS LAN EQUIPMENT MARKET BOOMING - Worldwide
revenue from wireless local area network (WLAN) equipment surpassed
$1 billion in 2000, an increase of 80% for the year, according to IDC.
With demand continuing to grow in markets such as Western Europe and
Japan, IDC projects annual WLAN revenues to reach $3.2 billion by 2005.
SOFTBANK TO FOCUS ON BROADBAND BUSINESS - Softbank
Corp president Masayoshi Son has dismissed concerns about his company's
Internet investment strategy and said his focus will be on expanding
broadband and business-to-business services. http://special.scmp.com/NLet/NLet.asp?Sec=technology&SSec=techbiz&Id=ZZZMY0DVKLC
(free registration required)
ADSL SETS COURSE FOR CABLE ONSLAUGHT - Taiwan's broadband
Internet penetration rate will probably hit 50 per cent within three
years, according to French telecommunications-equipment maker Alcatel.
http://special.scmp.com/NLet/NLet.asp?Sec=technology&SSec=internet&Id=ZZZFSXCVKLC
BBC: WORKERS LOSE THREE HOURS A WEEK TO THE NET -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1284000/1284823.stm
eCOMMERCE CONTRIBUTION TO COMMERCIAL SALES IN LATIN
AMERICA - The Chilean Chamber of Commerce (CCC) reports that in 2000,
Brazil led e-commerce sales in Latin America with 27% of the region's
total e-sales. Mexico and Argentina followed with 21% each, Chile came
in third with 15.4%, Venezuela claimed 9.3% and Colombia represented
6.2% of online sales. The CCC found that the six countries' total e-sales
grew by 117% in 2000 to a total of USD $1.1 billion -- 7.8% of total
commercial sales in the region.
NOT SO FAST - While broadband access has grown considerably,
most U.S. households will still use dial-up internet services through
2005, according to Cahners In-Stat Group. By that year, there will be
as many homes without internet access as those with cable or digital
subscriber line (DSL) service. Cahners research also reveals that 30%
of American households claim to have no need or desire for internet
access.
CISCO GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS@2001
Cisco’s top policy focuses for 2001 are the areas of Education,
Broadband Deployment and eGovernment.
To read or listen to our thoughts on these issues, please visit
our Government Affairs home page or our visit
our multimedia section . http://www.cisco.com/gov/multimedia/index.html
E-UPDATE ARCHIVE
To view past issues of Cisco’s Government Affairs E-Update,
visit our E-Update Archive page . http://www.cisco.com/gov/archive/eupdates/index.html
DISCLAIMER
Positions in articles and papers from outside sources are in
no way endorsed by Cisco Systems' Office of Government Affairs.
We offer articles on topics of interest to our audience to further the
debate on the issues that are important to high-tech.
To view our positions on the policy matters that we care about,
please visit our Government Affairs
homepage. – http://www.cisco.com/gov
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