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EFFector Online Volume 5 No. 13 7/23/1993 editors@eff.org
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A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424
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-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
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In this issue:
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Online Congressional Hearings Postponed
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Summary of New Infrastructure Bill
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EFF Joins Telecommunications Policy Roundtable
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-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
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**************************************
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Online Congressional Hearing Postponed
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**************************************
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In the last issue of EFFector Online (Volume 5, Number 12, July 7, 1993),
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we announced an upcoming online Congressional hearing to be held over the
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Internet on July 26 at 9:30AM EDT. Unfortunately, this event has been
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postponed until October or November. The following note from Internet Town
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Hall organizer Carl Malamud explains:
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"I wanted to explain a bit more my understanding of why we
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are delaying the congressional hearings. Please be very
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clear that I do not represent the committee and that this
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explanation is being sent in my capacity as the organizer
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of the Internet Town Hall.
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"The Internet Town Hall depends on voluntary donations from a
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large number of parties. For this Internet Town Hall, we've
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had a tremendous outpouring of support from groups such as
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O'Reilly & Associates, Sun Microsystems, Cisco, ARPA, Empirical
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Tools and Technologies, BBN, UUNET, Metropolitan Fiber Systems,
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and many others.
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"The purpose of this broad coalition is to demonstrate how the
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Internet works and how the Internet can be made to work in the
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congressional process. We wanted to make the point that there
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exists a general-purpose infrastructure that allows everything
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from email to IRC chat to WAIS databases to the World Wide Web
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to be accessed.
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"One of the key things we wanted to show the Congress was how
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audio and video can work over a general purpose infrastructure
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such as the Internet. Rather than transmit video over the key
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transit networks, which tend to get overloaded during events
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such as the Internet Town Hall, ARPA had agreed to furnish the
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use of DARTNET, the experimental advanced research network they
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operate.
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"The underlying transmission facilities for DARTNET are operated
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by Sprint. In order for the National Press Club, the headquarters
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site for the hearing, to be part of DARTNET we required a T1
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line from our facility to the Sprint point of presence a few
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blocks away. We had requested Sprint to provide that T1 line
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and become part of the Internet Town Hall.
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"In the course of examining our request, Sprint postulated that
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furnishing a T1 line for a congressional hearing might violate
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congressional ethics laws. There are in fact laws on the books
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that prohibit members of Congress or its committees from accepting
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in-kind donations over a certain value under certain circumstances.
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Sprint forwarded their concerns to the House Ethics Committee,
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and then later informed the Subcommittee on Telecommunications
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and Finance and my organization of their actions.
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"Needless to say, there are technical alternatives to the T1 line
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that we asked Sprint to furnish. In fact, a single call to
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Metropolitan Fiber Systems resulted in a 10 Mbps virtual Ethernet
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using ATM between Washington, D.C. and Boston which is available
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for the hearing when it does occur.
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"Even though the technical issue is solved, there still remains
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the ethics concern. We firmly believe that a broad industry/government
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group volunteering time and money to show how the congressional
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process can be changed to include more input from the general
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public to be in the public interest. However, we are equally
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adamant that *ANY* ethical concerns *MUST* be cleared before
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we proceed with the hearings.
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"The crux of the issue has to do with in-kind contributions. If
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you are testifying before Congress, it is clearly allowed to bring
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in computers. However, a donation to the underlying infrastructure
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of the congressional committee might be construed as an expense
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that must be reimbursed by the committee to the donor. The purpose
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of such laws is to establish beyond the shadow of a doubt that
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the congressional process is clean and not subject to the undue
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influence of a particular interest group.
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"We will spend the next few months describing to congressional
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officials exactly what we have in mind for the hearings. Since this
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will be a historical occasion, there is no precedent for on-line
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hearings. We want to make sure that everybody is very comfortable
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with the issues and that officials believe that there is public
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benefit in such a demonstration.
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"I'd like to thank all the volunteers for their time and effort
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to date. A tremendous amount of behind the scenes efforts has
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already taken place and we're hoping to salvage some of that
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effort so we don't have to start from scratch. I'd also like
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to thank everybody on the network who sent in letters. The
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Subcommittee and Congressman Markey were truly impressed at
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the volume and the quality of the commentary from the public
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through e-mail and are looking forward to a successful on-line
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hearing later in the year.
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"BTW, we're keeping congress@town.hall.org open ... no sense
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in cutting off communication!
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Carl Malamud
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Internet Multicasting Service"
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*******************************************************
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Telecommunications Infrastructure Act of 1993 (S. 1086)
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*******************************************************
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Introduced by Senators Danforth and Inouye on June 9, 1993
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First hearing scheduled: July 14, 9:30 AM
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A Summary by the Electronic Frontier Foundation
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The Senate Communications Subcommittee is now in the process of
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considering legislation that would eliminate the legal monopoly that
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local telephone companies have on local phone service, allow any
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communications provider to offer local phone service, and allow local
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telephone companies to compete fully in the cable television market.
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The legislation's goal is to promote increased investment in the
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nation's telecommunications infrastructure.
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The bill proposes many significant policy changes, chief among
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which is a very rapid move toward deregulating the local telephone
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companies' monopoly on local telephone service. The policies proposed
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are laid out in broad concepts, leaving the Federal Communications
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Commission to wrestle with the actual implementation of the policies.
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LOCAL EXCHANGE COMPETITION
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One year after the bill is enacted, any company would be allowed
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to offer local telephone service. Potential new entrants that would be
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allowed in the local exchange market under this bill include cable
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television companies, wireless service providers, and even Bell
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companies outside their current local exchange monopoly areas. Any
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State laws that would preserve the current telephone company monopoly
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or limit the entry of competitors are pre-empted by the bill.
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TELECOMMUNICATIONS CARRIER OBLIGATIONS
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Any company that offers telecommunications service or is
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interconnected with the local exchange carrier's network has several
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obligations under this bill. The definition of telecommunications
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service is somewhat vague, but it certainly includes voice telephone
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service, interactive data services used to carry information services,
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and possibly one-way video services such as those currently provided by
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cable television companies. Carriers' obligations include:
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1. Interconnection
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All carriers that either provide telecommunications service or are
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interconnected with a carrier that provides telecommunications
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service must allow other carriers to interconnect with their network
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for the purpose of providing telecommunications or information services
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to users of either network. Network operators must provide
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interconnection under nondiscriminatory terms, on an unbundled basis.
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Operators must also supply all necessary technical information to enable
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others to interconnect and interoperate from one network to another.
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2. Universal Service
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All providers of telecommunications service must contribute to the
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"preservation and advancement of universal service." States, in
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cooperation with the FCC, are responsible to make regulations that
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establish the mechanism for supporting universal service in the newly
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competitive telephone market. The bill does provide, however, that any
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universal service support should be given directly to "individuals and
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entities that cannot afford the cost" of telecommunications service.
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Subsidy for users' communications equipment is also allowed.
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3. Number Portability
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The FCC will establish regulations the provide for "portable"
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numbers from all carriers as soon as possible. Thus, a customer could
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switch telecommunications providers without having to change telephone
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numbers. The administration of the numbering system would be removed
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from Bellcore and placed with an "impartial entity."
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INFRASTRUCTURE FOR RURAL AREAS AND NONCOMPETITIVE MARKETS
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The bill recognizes that in a competitive market environment,
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rural and "noncompetitive markets" may not enjoy the level of investment
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necessary for providing advanced telecommunications services. The
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minimum level of service desired in the bill is that which would
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"provide subscribers with sufficient network capacity to access to
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information services that provide a combination of voice, data, image,
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and video; and are available at nondiscriminatory rates that are based
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on the reasonably identifiable costs of providing such services." It is
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not clear that such services would be interactive. State regulators would
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be given the primary responsibility to ensure that carriers have an
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incentive to provide high-quality services to all areas. If this
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approach fails, the FCC is empowered to take action to have necessary
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service delivered to these areas.
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NETWORK STANDARDS AND PLANNING
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All segments of the communications industry are encouraged to work
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together to set voluntary standards for interconnection and
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interoperability. If the FCC determines that standards development is
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not succeeding or is proceeding too slowly, it may set incentives or
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deadlines for work to be completed. The FCC may also impose mandatory
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standards if the voluntary process fails.
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The FCC and the States are required to ensure that advanced
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telecommunications services are designed to be accessible to people with
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disabilities.
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TELEPHONE COMPANY ENTRY INTO CABLE TELEVISION MARKET
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The current ban preventing local telephone companies from entering
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the cable television market is lifted, in part. Local phone companies
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will be allowed, under the bill, to provide cable television service
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within their serving area, if the service is provided by a
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separate subsidiary and the phone company does not break any laws
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regarding improper cross-subsidization between phone service and cable
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services. By the same token, cable companies that provide
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telecommunications service must do so through separate subsidiaries and
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obey laws regarding cross-subsidization. Phone companies are still not
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allowed to purchase more than 5 percent interest in any cable system
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that provides services within the phone companies' service regions.
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CHANGES IN LONG DISTANCE RESTRICTIONS
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The restrictions on local phone companies against providing long
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distance (InterLATA) telecommunications service are lifted, in part, by
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the bill, to enable local phone companies to function more easily in the
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cable television and cellular phone markets. Bell companies would be
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allowed to operate wireline and satellite links for the purposes of
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distributing cable television signals over long distances. Some
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relaxation of the InterLATA restriction is also allowed to enable Bell
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companies to carry cellular phone calls from one region to another, and
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to hand off calls from one cellular system to another.
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INFORMATION SERVICES SAFEGUARDS
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Computers, Freedom and Privacy '94 Announcement
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The fourth annual conference, "Computers, Freedom, and Privacy,"
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will be held in Chicago, Il., March 23-26, 1994. This conference will
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be jointly sponsored by the Association for Computing Machinery
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(ACM) and The John Marshall Law School. George B. Trubow,
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professor of law and director of the Center for Informatics Law at
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John Marshall, is general chairman of the conference. The series
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began in 1991 with a conference in Los Angeles, and subsequent
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meetings took place in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, in
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successive years. Each conference has addressed a broad range of
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issues confronting the "information society" in this era of the
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computer revolution.
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The advance of computer and communications technologies holds
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great promise for individuals and society. From conveniences for
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consumers and efficiencies in commerce to improved public health
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and safety and increased knowledge of and participation in
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government and community, these technologies are fundamentally
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transforming our environment and our lives.
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At the same time, these technologies present challenges to the idea
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of a free and open society. Personal privacy is increasingly at risk
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from invasions by high-tech surveillance and monitoring; a myriad of
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personal information data bases expose private life to constant
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scrutiny; new forms of illegal activity may threaten the traditional
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barriers between citizen and state and present new tests of
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Constitutional protection; geographic boundaries of state and nation
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may be recast by information exchange that knows no boundaries as
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governments and economies are caught up in global data networks.
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Computers, Freedom, and Privacy '94 will present an assemblage of
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experts, advocates and interested parties from diverse perspectives
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and disciplines to consider the effects on freedom and privacy
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resulting from the rapid technological advances in computer and
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telecommunication science. Participants come from fields of
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computer science, communications, law, business and commerce,
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research, government, education, the media, health, public advocacy
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and consumer affairs, and a variety of other backgrounds. A series of
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pre-conference tutorials will be offered on March 23, 1994, with the
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conference program beginning on Thursday, March 24, and running
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through Saturday, March 26, 1994.
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The emphasis in '94 will be on examining the many potential uses of
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new technology and considering recommendations for dealing with
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them. "We will be looking for specific suggestions to harness the new
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technologies so society can enjoy the benefits while avoiding
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negative implications," said Trubow. "We must manage the
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technology, or it will manage us," he added.
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Trubow is putting out a call for papers or program suggestions.
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"Anyone who is doing a paper relevant to our subject matter, or who
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has an idea for a program presentation that will demonstrate new
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computer or communications technology and suggest what can be
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done with it, is invited to let us know about it." Any proposal must
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state the title of the paper or program, describe the theme and
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content in a short paragraph, and set out the credentials and
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experience of the author or suggested speakers. Conference
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communications should be sent to:
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CFP'94
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John Marshall Law School
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315 S. Plymouth Ct.
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Chicago, IL 60604
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(Voice: 312-987-1419; Fax: 312-427-8307; E-mail: CFP94@jmls.edu)
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Trubow anticipates that announcement of a student writing
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competition for CFP'94 will be made soon, together with information
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regarding the availability of a limited number of student
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scholarships for the conference. Trubow said, "I expect the
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organizational structure for CFP'94, including the designation of
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program committees, to be completed by about the first of August, to
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allow plenty of time for the development of a stimulating and
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informative conference."
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The venerable Palmer House, a Hilton hotel located at the corner of
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State Street and Washington Ave. in Chicago's "loop," and only about
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a block from the John Marshall Law School buildings, will be the
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conference headquarters. Room reservations should be made directly
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with the hotel, mentioning John Marshall Law School or "CFP'94" to
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get the special conference rate of $99.00, plus tax.
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The Palmer House Hilton
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17 E. Monroe., Chicago, Il., 60603
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Tel: 312-726-7500; 1-800-HILTONS; Fax 312-263-2556
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-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
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Preliminary Report -- Rural Datafication Conference
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Chicago, May 13 & 14, 1993
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Over 200 hundred people from all over the United States and Canada
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gathered in Chicago last week to participate in _Rural Datafication:
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achieving the goal of ubiquitous access to the Internet_. The
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conference was sponsored by CICNet and nine cooperating state
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communications networks or organizations: NetILLINOIS, INDNet,
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IREN, MichNet, MRNet, NYSERNet, PREPnet, WiscNet, and WVNET. Two
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of the represented states (Minnesota and Indiana) took the
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opportunity to caucus among themselves to further define their own
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activities.
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The program began Thursday afternoon with hosted discussion
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groups intended to discover where we could make improvements in
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networked information services. Then a panel described current
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successful projects in British Columbia (Roger Hart), North Dakota
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(Dan Pullen), Montana (Frank Odasz), Washington, Alaska, and Oregon
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(Sherrilynne Fuller), Pennsylvania (Art Hussey), and Massachusetts
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(Miles Fidelman). Questions from the panel and the audience would
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have kept the room filled far into the night had the moderator not
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sent everyone out to dinner.
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The next morning's sessions featured knowledgeable speakers open
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to interaction with the other conference attendees. Mike Staman set
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the stage. He was followed by Ross Stapleton who spoke about
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recognizing that our government is also not well-networked; by
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Simona Nass who spoke about some of the legal and policy issues of
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networked communities; by Anthony Riddle who spoke about how
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the networked information community could build from the
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experiences of the community access television people; and by
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George Baldwin who spoke about using networked information to
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preserve Native American cultures. Rick Gates finished up the
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morning with a presentation that described his efforts to teach
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information discovery on the nets using play.
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The afternoon session featured reports from the hosted discussion
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groups on agriculture, on health care and health education, on
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libraries, on post-secondary education, on community and
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government information, and on K-12 education. Joel Hartman of
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Bradley University and netILLINOIS moderated.
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The interaction among the attendees and between and with the
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speakers and panelists brought the most benefit, according to some
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attendees. The attendees recognized that we haven't quite figured
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out how to solve the extensive problems that bar network access to
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all but they are excited about continuing to identify and work on
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removing the barriers. A number suggested that the meeting should
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actually be the first Rural Datafication Conference and offered to host
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and/or organize the anticipated follow-on meeting next year. Many
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offered format and speaker suggestions for that meeting and look
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forward to the anticipated proceedings from the conference which
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CICNet expects to publish.
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CICNet is working on a summary of the meeting and working to build
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a gopher/ftp-archive and printed version of the meeting. We'll
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announce the availability of those versions as soon as we can. Thanks
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to all the participants for a successful meeting and to all of you who
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have expressed interest but couldn't come.
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____________________________
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Glee Harrah Cady, Manager, Information Services, CICNet 2901
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Hubbard, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 +1.313.998.6419
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glee@cic.net
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=============================================================
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EFFector Online is published by
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The Electronic Frontier Foundation
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666 Pennsylvania Ave. SE Suite 303
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Washington, DC 20003 USA
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Phone: +1 202 544 9237 FAX: +1 202 547 5481
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Internet Address: eff@eff.org
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Coordination, production and shipping by Cliff Figallo, EFF
|
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Online Communications Coordinator (fig@eff.org)
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Reproduction of this publication in electronic media is encouraged.
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Signed articles do not necessarily represent the view of the EFF.
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To reproduce signed articles individually, please contact the authors
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for their express permission.
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*This newsletter is printed on 100% recycled electrons*
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=============================================================
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MEMBERSHIP IN THE ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION
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In order to continue the work already begun and to expand our
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efforts and activities into other realms of the electronic frontier, we
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need the financial support of individuals and organizations.
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If you support our goals and our work, you can show that support by
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becoming a member now. Members receive our bi-weekly electronic
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newsletter, EFFector Online (if you have an electronic address that
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Your membership/donation is fully tax deductible.
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Our memberships are $20.00 per year for students and $40.00 per
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year for regular members. You may, of course, donate more if you
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wish.
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Our privacy policy: The Electronic Frontier Foundation will never,
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will, from time to time, share this list with other non-profit
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But with us, member privacy is the default. This means that you
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do not wish your membership disclosed to any group for any reason.
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=============================================================
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Mail to:
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Membership Coordinator
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The Electronic Frontier Foundation
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666 Pennsylvania Ave. SE Suite 303
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Washington, DC 20003 USA
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I wish to become a member of the EFF. I enclose: $_______
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I hereby grant permission to the EFF to share my name with
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other non-profit groups from time to time as it deems
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appropriate [ ].
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Initials:___________________________
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--
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� Christopher Davis � <ckd@kei.com> � <ckd@eff.org> � [CKD1] � MIME � RIPEM �
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^ if these characters appear as the number 7 then you don't have ISO-8859-1 ^
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^ or something between me and you stripped the high bit on this message. ^
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Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253
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