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Cisco Government Affairs E-Update
Volume 2, Issue 9
15 February 2002
Brought to you by Cisco
Government Affairs Online: http://www.cisco.com/gov
This Week@Cisco in Government Affairs
Cisco's E-Update keeps
you up to date on the major policy news of the week. Focusing on broadband,
education and e-government areas, but covering high-tech and telecom
in general, the E-Update is a great source of information for state,
federal and international policymakers. To subscribe, send a message
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This Week@WASHINGTON, DC
FCC
LAUNCHES PROCEEDING TO PROMOTE WIDESPREAD DEPLOYMENT OF HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND
INTERNET ACCESS SERVICES - The
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a major rulemaking to
promote greater deployment of broadband services. The Notice
of Proposed Rulemaking (Notice) is poised to resolve outstanding
issues regarding the classification of telephone-based broadband Internet
access services and the regulatory implications of that classification.
The additional clarity brought by the resolution of these issues will
promote greater investment in the nation's broadband infrastructure. In the Notice
adopted today, the FCC tentatively concluded the wireline broadband
Internet access services - whether provided over a third party's facilities
or self-provisioned facilities - are information services, with a telecommunications
component, rather than telecommunications services. Information services
include such services as voice mail and e-mail, which ride over telecommunications
facilities. http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/2002/nrcc0202.html
FCC MAY TAX INTERNET
ACCESS - The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding regulatory classification of services also
addresses the FCC's universal service programs. Under this NPRM the
FCC will also consider whether broadband Internet access providers should
be taxed to support the FCC's telecommunications subsidy programs.
The FCC stated in its release the NPRM seeks comment "on
whether facilities based broadband Internet access providers should
be required to contribute to support universal service." The release
also states that the FCC seeks comment on "whether the Computer
Inquiry network access requirements should be modified or eliminated". One of the four Commissioners dissented. Kevin Martin wrote in his
separate statement that "I dissent from this item's discussion
of universal service obligations of providers of broadband Internet
access. In particular, I object to its determination that we will consider
imposing what is essentially an Internet access tax, extending universal
service contribution obligations to non-wireline broadband Internet
access providers, such as wireless, cable, and satellite providers.
Unlike wireline providers, these providers have not been required to
make universal service contributions on the basis of their broadband
services." (Tech Law Journal
– www.techlawjournal.com)
Release: http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/2002/nrcc0202.html
Martin statement: http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Martin/Statements/2002/stkjm206.html
FCC LAUNCHES BROADBAND
DEBATE - Federal regulators this week launched what will likely be a
fierce debate over what rules should govern high-speed Internet service
across traditional telephone lines, a proceeding that could affect the
speed of its rollout across the United States.
The agency tentatively proposed that the service, known as broadband
and specifically digital subscriber line (DSL), be labeled as an information
service, which could subject it to fewer regulations and thus, some
argue, faster deployment. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,50440,00.html
FCC ALLOWS ULTRAWIDEBAND
USE - Federal regulators gave a tentative go-ahead yesterday for a new
wireless technology that would make it possible for home machines to
"talk" to one another, for federal agents to locate hidden
or lost people behind walls, and for cars to stop automatically before
hitting a pedestrian. Start-up companies, the Department of Commerce
and analysts hailed the Federal Communications Commission's decision
as a victory for consumers and the industry.
"It is the biggest technology decision of [Michael] Powell's
[FCC] chairmanship, and probably of the Bush administration," said
Scott Cleland, an analyst with market-research firm Precursor Group.
"This is 'Star Trek' stuff."
http://www.washtech.com/news/regulation/15193-1.html
FCC Release: http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Engineering_Technology/News_Releases/2002/nret0203.html
Statement of Commerce Secretary Evans: http://www2.osec.doc.gov/public.nsf/docs/Evans-FCC-Ultra
ADELSTEIN TO BE NOMINATED
FOR FCC - The President intends to nominate Jonathan Steven Adelstein
to be a Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission for the
remainder of a five-ear term expiring June 30, 2003. Adelstein
has been a Legislative Assistant for Senator Tom Daschle since 1995
where he has been involved in the field of telecommunications and technology. Before
joining Senator Daschle's staff, Adelstein was a member of the Senator
David Pryor's staff. From 1987 to 1989, he was a Legislative Assistant
to Senator David Riegle. Adelstein has been a teaching fellow in Harvard
College's Department of History and a Communications Consultant to Stanford
University's Graduate School of Business. A South Dakota
native, he received a bachelor's degree and Master's degree from Stanford
University and completed graduate study in public policy from the Kennedy
School of Government at Harvard University. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/02/20020208-6.html
PAUL KOLODZY TO BE
APPOINTED OET SENIOR SPECTRUM POLICY ADVISOR AND CHAIR, FCC SPECTRUM
POLICY TASK FORCE - http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-219906A1.doc
SPEECH: Commerce Assistant
Secretary Nancy J. Victory Before the National Association of Regulatory
Utility Commissioners Committee on Telecommunications Washington, D.C.
February 12, 2002 “TOGETHER
ON THE RIGHT TRACK: MANAGING ACCESS TO PUBLIC ROADS AND RIGHTS OF WAY”
- http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/speeches/2002/naruc021202.htm
SPEECH: Commerce Assistant
Secretary Nancy Victory delivered at the Alliance for Public Technology
Broadband Symposium Washington, D.C.
February 8, 2002 “CREATION OF A BROADBAND UNIVERSE: A "BIG
BANG THEORY" - http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/speeches/2002/apt_020802.htm
U.S.
DISAPPOINTED BY EU MOVE ON DIGITAL TAXES
- The Treasury Department this week reacted negatively to a European
Union move to require non-EU companies to impose a tax on products delivered
online to consumers, such as downloaded software or music. "We are disappointed with the EU's decision to move ahead with
the directive to tax e-commerce," said Mark Weinberger, Treasury's
assistant secretary for tax policy. "We will continue to reach
out to countries in Europe and reiterate our concerns." On Wednesday,
the EU Council of economic and finance ministers gave its OK to a European
Commission proposal on applying the value-added tax, or VAT, to so-called
digital products. Those products could include computer games and software,
as well as radio or television broadcasting, delivered online. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=582&u=/nm/20020214/wr_nm/economy_treasury_digital_dc_1
EPA ENCOURAGES DATA
SHARING - The Environmental Protection Agency has launched a new state
and tribal grant program and is seeking proposals for a system to facilitate
electronic data sharing. EPA received $25 million for fiscal 2002 --
with $2.5 million set aside for tribes -- for the National Environmental
Information Exchange Network Grant Program.
The money will go toward data modernization and integration efforts
in support of the National Environmental Information Exchange Network,
a developing Internet-based system that links states and the federal
government. http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2002/0211/web-epa-02-13-02.asp
SOFTWARE EASES WORKLOAD
FOR APPOINTMENT PROCESS - A new software package has eliminated one
of the biggest headaches faced by all new political appointees: filling
out the slew of background forms required to work for Uncle Sam. The Nomination Forms Online software was unveiled last week by officials
with the White House 2001 project, an initiative to simplify the presidential
transition process. The software contains electronic copies of all the
documents appointees are required to complete, including the SF-86 FBI
Form and the SF-278 financial disclosure statement required by the Office
of Government Ethics. http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0202/021202p1.htm
AGENCIES RISK LOSING
I.T. FUNDS - Despite a double-digit increase in the federal government's
information technology budget in 2003, many agencies risk losing the
funding because they don't meet security and performance standards,
officials say. Out of 2,900 IT projects included in the federal
IT budget in 2003, 400 are on a "watch list" because they
haven't satisfied all the requirements the Bush administration is enforcing
this year, according to Mark Forman, associate director for IT and e-government
at the Office of Management and Budget. Bush unveiled his budget proposal
last week. Laws governing federal
IT spending require that projects meet federal information systems security
standards, increase agency productivity, result in improved service,
and are guided by a management plan for staying on schedule and on budget.
The agencies proposing projects on the watch list, which account for
$10 billion of the total $52 billion IT budget for 2003, have until
October, the beginning of the 2003 fiscal year, to comply with the rules.
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105-834742.html
ONLINE
EDUCATION BECOMES TECH SUCCESS STORY FOR D.C. AREA - While telecom and dot-com companies across the region
were flaming up and out in the past few years, another tech sector --
online education -- quietly took root and is now beginning to emerge
as a stable and potentially lucrative industry.
More than just helping eighth-graders with homework, online education
and training is used heavily by corporations and government agencies.
The industry, a $4.5 billion market in 2001, is predicted to be worth
$11 billion by 2005, according to Eduventures.com Inc., a research and
consulting firm. The Greater
Washington Initiative, a regional economic development organization,
identified 65 local companies that offer e-learning products and services,
prompting it to call Washington the global e-learning capital.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60674-2002Feb11.html
SPEECH ON TPA: Sen.
Max Baucus (D-MT) gave a speech titled "A New Trade Policy for
New Democrats" to the Democratic Leadership Council. http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=106&subid=122&contentid=250197
BATTLING BUSH'S DIGITAL
DIVIDE
- Prominent civil rights organizations held an emergency
meeting to combat a Bush administration proposal to eliminate two programs
the groups say are "small but crucial" to reducing the digital
divide. The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) and the Benton
Foundation convened a host of civil rights groups to discuss ways to
save the Opportunities Program (TOP), administered by the Department
of Commerce, and the Community Technology Center initiative, administered
by the Department of Education. The programs, which Bush proposed axing
as part of the fiscal 2003 budget, help bring technology to low-income
and underserved communities. "After years of building up successful
public investments to expand technology opportunity, the administration's
decision to pull out comes at an unfortunate time," said Tony Wilhelm,
senior director at the Benton Foundation. Brian Komar, director of strategic
affairs for the LCCR said the "Both programs enjoy tremendous bipartisan
support." He said the recent meeting is "just the beginning
of what (could) be a fairly large-scale campaign." http://news.com.com/2100-1023-834645.html
GAO Report: "TELECOMMUNICATIONS:
FEDERAL AND STATE UNIVERSAL SERVICE PROGRAMS AND CHALLENGES TO FUNDING"
- The report provides an in depth review of existing universal service
programs. It also offers the suggestion that providers of various Internet
services be taxed to subsidize the government's universal service programs.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02187.pdf
ITAA NOTES TELECOM
ACT ANNIVERSARY - The Information Technology Association of America
(ITAA) marked the sixth anniversary of the signing of the Telecommunications
Act of 1996 by celebrating widespread U.S. adoption of the Internet
and Internet access, while cautioning that consumer demand for high
speed access is faltering. http://www.itaa.org/news/pr/PressRelease.cfm?ReleaseID=1013548099
This
Week@INTERNATIONAL
INDEPENDENT CHAIRMAN
TO LEAD U.K. BROADBAND ADVISORY GROUP - E-Commerce Minister Douglas
Alexander and the BSG today announced the appointment of former ICL
chief executive Keith Todd as chairman of the Government's key advisory
committee on broadband (high-speed, always-on internet access), the
Broadband Stakeholders Group (BSG). The Government's comprehensive Broadband Strategy,
published in December last year, drew heavily on the Broadband Stakeholder
Group's first report and recommendations.
The Government will continue to draw on the front line experience
and expertise of Stakeholder group members in developing future
Government policy, and the appointment of Mr Todd marks the next stage
in the group's development. http://www.nds.coi.gov.uk/coi/coipress.nsf/2b45e1e3ffe090ac802567350059d840/b466f50fd19c194680256b5d004d35e5?OpenDocument
The Government's Broadband Strategy was published by Douglas Alexander
on 3 December and can be found at http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/ecommerce/broadband/bbsgrep_menu.htm
EUROPE
FAILS TO OPEN UP LOCAL TELEPHONE NETWORKS - Attempts to foster competition
in Europe's local telephone networks have failed, with Britain among
the worst offenders in opening up the market. European Union laws to make incumbents open up their exchanges came
into force a year ago, but a study published on Monday shows that virtually
no progress has been made. Figures
produced by the European Competitive Telecommunications Association,
the telecoms trade body, reveal that less than 0.01 per cent of European
"local loop" lines have been unbundled to new entrants. Britain is among the least advanced. Although
Patricia Hewitt when she was e-commerce minister set a target of "widespread
unbundling" by July, only 164 of BT Group's 29m lines are in the
hands of competitors. http://news.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pagename=View&c=Article&cid=FT30GR15JXC&live=true&tagid=IXLUCLOJQBC
EU VOTES TO TAX ONLINE
COMMERCE - European ministers have backed a law on internet sales which
would remove a handicap for EU companies.
But the plan could trigger a new trade war between the Europe
and the US. The law obliges non-EU suppliers to impose
a sales tax on software, music and other so-called virtual sales to
European consumers. It was agreed
in a preparatory meeting last year and was rubber stamped by the 15
finance ministers meeting in Brussels on Tuesday.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/business/newsid_1817000/1817110.stm
BRUSSELS
WARNS OF PLATEAU IN EU INTERNET TAKE-UP - The European Commission on Tuesday warned that growth
in internet use in the European Union is in danger of halting, two years
after Brussels began a drive to "accelerate Europe's transformation
into an Information Society".
In a review of the EU's "eEurope Action plan", the
Commission said that while internet penetration of EU households rose
from 18 per cent in March 2000 to 36 per cent in June 2001, it was only
38 per cent in December 2001. "This means the rapid take-up during 2000
and early 2001 may have reached a plateau [below the US level],"
it said. "Available national statistics seem to confirm this trend."
Greater internet use is a central part of the EU's ambition,
unveiled at the 2000 Lisbon summit, to make the region the world's most
dynamic economy by 2010. http://news.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pagename=View&c=Article&cid=FT3KLTY4MXC&live=true&tagid=FTDDMJNIFEC
SPEECH - Mr Erkki Liikanen
Member of the European Commission, responsible for Enterprise and the
Information Society "Creating a Dynamic Marketplace: EU telecoms
policy in the framework of eEurope" 13th Annual European Communications
Conference London, 14 February 2002 - http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=SPEECH/02/64|0|RAPID&lg=EN
TELECOMS
PACKAGE WILL BRING BETTER DEAL FOR CONSUMERS - The Council of Ministers today adopted the Telecoms
package. Member States now have 15 months to implement this package
into their national laws. The Telecoms package is a major overhaul of
the regulatory framework for communications services, aimed at bringing
more competition in this crucial sector for the European economy. Welcoming
the adoption of the package Information Society Commissioner Erkki Liikanen
stated: "This pro-competitive package completes the internal market
for the information society, delivering a better deal for consumers
in terms of price, quality and value for money. It also provides greater
transparency and legal certainty for all players operating in the internal
market." http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/02/259|0|RAPID&lg=EN
AZNAR CALLS FOR BARCELONA
SUMMIT TO GIVE DEFINITIVE PUSH FOR REFORM TO MAKE EUROPE THE MOST COMPETITIVE
AREA IN THE WORLD - Address by the President of the European Council
on "Economic reform and progress with the Lisbon Process"
at the Conference organised by the Foundation for Social Studies and
Analysis and the Wilton Park Foundation, in San Lorenzo de El Escorial
(Madrid). http://ue2002.es/DetalleNewsletters.asp?idioma=ingles&opcion=1&subopcion=1&id=550
NIGERIA'S $1.3BN TELECOMS
DEAL IN JEOPARDY - Sub-Saharan Africa's largest telecommunications deal,
the $1.3bn (£920m) sale of a controlling stake in Nitel, Nigeria's state
telecoms company, is in danger of collapsing after the chosen bidder
failed to meet a payment deadline.
http://tm0.com/sbct.cgi?s=166389374&i=464586&m=1&d=2294710
CANADIAN INDUSTRY MINISTER
OFFERS FOUR-POINT PLAN FOR PROMOTING INNOVATION - Minister of Industry
Allan Rock says broadband access is still an important component if
Canada is to transform itself into a world leader in innovation. Rock delivered the message at a luncheon hosted by the Canadian
Chamber of Commerce in downtown Toronto on Tuesday. His comments indicated a strategy that does not deviate far from
that of his predecessor, Brian Tobin, who left politics last month.
While as a country we've enjoyed some success, Rock pointed to Canada's
debt to GDP ratio, which was 74 per cent about 10 years ago but will
dip below 50 per cent next year -- a 17 year low -- and a tumbling capital
gains tax. While this is progress, he deemed it "not
good enough. "The time
has come to take things to next level. To address the chronic questions
about our economic performance," he told an audience of about 150. http://www.itbusiness.ca/userredirect.asp?linkid=15312&userid=5
MEXICO'S TELECOM MARKET
IS UNFAIR, U.S. TRADE OFFICIALS TO SAY AT WTO - The U.S. is set to press
on with its case against Mexico at the World Trade Organization over
allegations that Mexico has unfairly kept U.S. companies from competing
in its $12 billion telecommunications market.
After long threatening such a move, U.S. trade officials will
formally ask for a WTO panel to investigate the issue in the coming
days, according to people familiar with the matter. If the panel rules
in favor of the U.S., Washington could slap trade sanctions on Mexico,
its second-biggest trading partner. Officials of the U.S. Trade Representative
declined to comment. http://online.wsj.com/article/0,4286,SB1013557876367000520,00.html?mod=politics_primary_hs
(paid subscription required)
VSNL
SALE GIVES INDIAN PRIVATISATION A BOOST - India's slow
pace of privatisation has abruptly shifted gear, shoring up market sentiment
to fuel a minor equities rally. Encouraged
by the sale this month of stakes in VSNL, the monopoly provider of international
telecommunications services, and Indo-Burma Petroleum, which owns a
network of 1,500 petrol stations, the government hopes to sell up to
nine more companies by the end of the financial year on March 31.
Although this would push up privatisation receipts to Rs70bn
to Rs80bn ($1.42bn to $1.64bn), it would still be less than two-thirds
of the Rs120bn target for this financial year. But beneath the headline
disappointment, the government and markets are pleased.
http://news.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pagename=View&c=Article&cid=FT305QDUOXC&live=true&tagid=ZZZPCGI2B0C
This Week@US STATES
SILICON VALLEY SUPPORTING
MEASURE E: Voters in San Jose, CA are being asked to vote for
Measure E -- a bond measure that will raise funds for the Mission Valley
school district's infrastructure and technology improvements. Please
view the Measure E website at: www.wvm-yes-on-e.org
for more information.
BROADBAND IN THE U.S.
- The latest high-speed study from the US Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) reports that there were roughly 9.6 million high-speed lines in
the US in June 2001 -- a whopping 250% increase since August 2000. The
FCC collects its high-speed data from standardized information from
advanced telephony providers like wireline telephone companies, cable
companies, wireless providers and satellite providers. Data is based
on 250 or more high-speed service lines (or wireless "lines")
in a given US state. The latest FCC study finds that the number of high-speed
residential and small business lines in particular grew by 51% between
December 2000 and June 2001 -- from roughly 5.2 million to 7.8 million.
http://www.emarketer.com/estatnews/estats/broadband/20020211_fcc.html
POLL: USERS WILL PAY
EXTRA FOR SOME BROADBAND ITEMS - A new survey suggests that people will
pay extra for certain broadband content, especially entertainment services
delivered over the Internet. But the findings contrast other viewpoints
that basic high-speed connections are already too expensive. Sage Research
Inc. of Massachusetts conducted the random survey of 600 U.S. households
for Cisco Systems Inc., the huge networking equipment maker. Nearly
45 percent of Sage survey respondents said they'd pay for some entertainment
delivered online - including music libraries, television shows and movies
on demand. http://www.timesdispatch.com/frontpage/MGBLGCNIMXC.html
USERS COOL ON PAYING FOR 'DUMB PIPE' BROADBAND - Despite a mixed record of success, people are
willing to pay for high-speed Internet services, but selling access
to a "dumb pipe" might not be the way to go, according to
a survey to be released today. The survey finds that American consumers
are willing to pony up a total of $25 billion annually for the services,
with the biggest share of that going to purchase various entertainment
products. "The dumb pipe has been a hurdle people
have struggled with," said Sage President Kathryn Korostoff. "What
this says is there is an opportunity for content. Maybe the model is
more like selling razor blades: Gillette did not make a fortune charging
for the handle; they made money selling the blades. Maybe companies
should charge for things people value and give away the pipe for free." http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hollywoodreporter/convergence/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1336774
(paid subscribers only)
TAFT
TO SEEK BOND ISSUE IN HIGH-TECH PLAN FOR OHIO - Gov. Bob Taft will ask Ohio voters to help conquer the next frontier. The
governor yesterday outlined his $1.6 billion plan to transform Ohio's
economy by investing in high-tech research, world-class scholars and
innovation that will translate into jobs. That plan includes a $500
million bond issue that voters would pass judgment on next year. If
voters say no, a key component of the plan - to recruit and pay top
scholars - could be shelved. The 10-year plan, dubbed the Third Frontier
Project, was the centerpiece of Taft's fourth State of the State address.
The speech, focused largely on the future, also marked the unofficial
kickoff of the governor's re-election campaign.
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/news/101299146012696161.xml
OFFICIALS CHART COURSE FOR STATE'S (KANSAS) ECONOMIC RECOVERY - Building
a stronger Kansas often has required a little heavy lifting. During
the 1930s, public works programs gave thousands of Kansans jobs constructing
roads, parks and municipal buildings. Such work helped keep the state
afloat during the Great Depression. Sixty years later, a $7 billion
highway program kept the economic engine moving while surrounding states
struggled. And now, with Kansas mired in a recession, state officials
again look to infrastructure projects to rejuvenate the economy. But
this time, the roads won't lead from Kansas City to Kanorado, but from
Liberal to Lawrence to London -- through broadband Internet connections.
http://www.cjonline.com/stories/021002/kan_ksrecovery.shtml
STATES
COMPETE IN E-LEARNING PROGRAMS - In
his State of the State address last month, Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton
boasted that his state leads the nation in using computer technology
in the classroom. "Our children have more opportunities
to learn to use the tool of the future, the computer, than the children
of any other state. It makes chills run up my spine to realize that
in the area that very well may determine the destiny of our nation,
Kentucky is the leader," Patton said.
According to education policy analyst Mike Griffith, Patton was
not just blowing smoke. "Kentucky is out in front in distance
learning. It offers high school courses … using the Internet. A lot
of states are talking about modeling programs after Kentucky's,"
says Griffith, an official of the Education Commission on the States.
Florida and Illinois also have online high schools and Pennsylvania
is experimenting with putting some of its alternative public schools
-- charter schools -- online. http://www1.stateline.org/story.do?storyId=222290
IOWA PUTS COURT RECORDS
ONLINE - Iowa's court system went to the Web at the end of January,
and for the first time the state's judiciary system is providing online
public access to basic court information from all of the state's 99
counties and its appellate courts.
The site (www.iowacourtsonline.org) provides basic information
on such things as child support payment histories, criminal and traffic
records, and the disposition of cases that have come before the courts.
Later this year, a $25 monthly subscription service will be introduced.
Users will be able to get more detailed information, including trial
and hearing dates, and judgment liens. http://www.fcw.com/geb/articles/2002/0211/web-iowa-02-14-02.asp
BILL
WOULD FORCE ISPS TO GIVE CUTOFF NOTICE – California State Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Redondo Beach (Los Angeles
County), has proposed legislation to bar Internet service providers
from cutting off customers' service without 30 days' notice. The move comes two months after ExciteAtHome
abruptly pulled the plug on 850,000 AT&T cable modem subscribers.
And last year, NorthPoint Communications of Emeryville abruptly shut
off service to 100,000 customers nationwide, including 40,000 in California.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/02/13/BU99754.DTL
OTHER
TECH STORIES OF THE WEEK
HOLD THAT OBIT, THE
INTERNET REVOLUTION LIVES - Lately, reading tech industry news has been
like reading the obituaries, with a
stream of reports detailing the demise of once-promising firms and initiatives,
and with lots of pessimism about broadband take-up rates.
But someone forgot to tell consumers that the Internet revolution
had been suspended, and reports just issued by the Commerce Department
and the FCC show that more people than ever are using the Internet and
advanced broadband services. The
studies also show that the much-feared “digital divide” is shrinking.
http://www.cei.org/gencon/016,02391.cfm
W3C
BACKS XML-BASED DIGITAL SIGNATURE - The
premier Web standards body this week recommended a way of signing documents
using XML, calling its new digital signature guidelines a key tool for
Web services infrastructure. The
World Wide Web Consortium's ( W3C) XML Signature recommendation, developed
in conjunction with the Internet Engineering Task Force ( IETF), provides
a standard way of signing XML documents so that recipients can verify
the identity of the sender and the integrity of the data. http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1106-838335.html
BT SAYS THEY OWN HYPERLINK
PATENT - British Telecom (BT) had set out to prove in a U.S. federal
court that it developed and holds a patent for the hyperlink technology
now used to whisk Web surfers from one site to another.
Judge Colleen McMahon voiced numerous doubts over British Telecom's
claims during this week’s preliminary hearing, but the case is far from
settled. Legal experts said it's unlikely, but not impossible, that
BT will prevail as the case wends its way through the legal system.
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,50361,00.html
INTERNET
CAR EXPERIMENT LAUNCHED IN TOKYO METROPOLITAN AREA - The Internet ITS Research Group started on Feb. 8
its pilot program for the intelligent transportation system (ITS) that
leverages the next-generation Internet protocol version 6 (IPv6) in
Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. The members of the joint research group
are the Keio Research Institute at SFC, Toyota Motor Corp., Denso Corp.
and NEC Corp. This program is the second large-scale experiment
of the Internet ITS Project conducted by the group, and 70 monitored
vehicles will run in the city of Kawasaki until the end of March. These
cars will be equipped with a specially developed terminal consisting
of a small server, communication devices, a settlement terminal, a display
and other equipment.
http://www.nikkeibp.asiabiztech.com/wcs/leaf?CID=onair/asabt/news/169843
FORMER SEC CHIEFS URGE
REFORM - Five former chairmen of the Securities and Exchange Commission
told the Senate Banking Committee yesterday that the collapse of Enron
Corp. has exposed flaws in the accounting and financial reporting system
and will require major reform to restore investor confidence. In calling
for changes, the chairmen, whose leadership at the SEC spanned all but
eight years between 1975 and 2000, conceded that some of the practices
they put in place during their tenure were no longer adequate, including
the Public Oversight Board, an industry-funded group charged with regulating
the accounting profession. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1612-2002Feb12.html
AFTER
ENRON, TECH SECTOR ACCOUNTING UNDER SCRUTINY - While the Enron debacle puts
the spotlight on accounting practices at other companies, a technology
industry notorious for tweaked profit reports still has a few tricks
up its sleeve. Pricey payments for stock options that show up nowhere
on income statements. Massive asset write-downs that help inflate future
earnings. Specially designed profit reports that mask the ugly details.
These methods and more are hallmarks of a sector facing new demands
for a return to the hefty revenue and profit gains that tech companies
bragged about before the bust. "I don't think there is an Enron type
of story, but there are certainly a variety of very commonly used techniques
in technology companies that exaggerate a company's profits," said
Howard Schilit, director of a Maryland-based accounting watchdog, the
Center for Financial Research & Analysis. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=581&u=/nm/20020209/tc_nm/tech_accounting_dc_1
AIRLINES STILL WANT
HIGH-SPEED INTERNET ACCESS - Airlines battered by a steep slide in air
travel remain interested in Boeing Co.'s Connexion airborne Internet
venture but significant revenues are several years away, the unit's
chief said on Monday. Though three top U.S. airlines backed out of
a commitment to invest in Connexion after the Sept. 11 attacks, a working
group of 17 carriers is discussing the embryonic high-speed service
with Boeing, despite their financial woes.
"If I said (talks with airlines were) 'encouraging' it would
be a gross understatement," Connexion President Scott Carson told
a small group or journalists. Carson
concedes the market is developing slowly for the proposed satellite-based
service, but he remains convinced that demand will develop over time.
Http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=582&u=/nm/20020212/wr_nm/transport_boeing_internet_dc_1
FACTS AND
STATS:
Personal networking service Classmates Online questioned Classmates.com
users in January 2002 and found that 61% of respondents had thought
of their high school sweetheart in the past year. The study also found
that 36% of respondents have used the internet to look up or to reconnect
with an old sweetheart. Additionally, the study found that 15% had an
online romance in the past five years, 10% have had a date with someone
they met or reconnected with online and 69% think that more people will
look online to find love in 2002. Classmates Online surveyed 1,011 US
adults between age 18 and 75 on Classmates.com.
54 PERCENT OF US NOW
ONLINE - MSNBC reports that 143 million people, or 54 percent of the
total population, are now online in the US, up 26 percent on last year.
http://www.nua.com/surveys/index.cgi?f=VS&art_id=905357626&rel=true
GLOBAL ONLINE POPULATION
STILL GROWING - According to eMarketer, the global Internet population
will reach 709.1 million in 2004, up from its estimate of 445.9 million
last year. http://www.nua.com/surveys/index.cgi?f=VS&art_id=905357630&rel=true
For 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.
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
CISCO.COM/GOV AND E-UPDATE
FEEDBACK
As we continue to build
out Cisco’s Government Affairs web site, as well as this service, this
E-Update, we welcome comments, criticisms, praise and suggestions.
Please send any feedback to John Earnhardt at jearnhar@cisco.com.
To contact any member
of the Government Affairs team, please visit our “Contact Us ” page. http://www.cisco.com/gov/contact/index_ext.html
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