Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Networks and Community Compiled 004
NETWORKS and COMMUNITIES - December 26, 1993
Issue 4
Compiler Sam Sternberg samsam@vm1.yorku.ca
This special issue is devoted to an analysis of the U.S.
Whitehouse's network policy. It includes information on how to
monitor and respond to it. Information on the technological and
economic assumptions this initiative is based on is also
included.
First, key aspects are pointed out; Next, underlying assumptions
are explored. Then I provide some suggestions for participation
in the ongoing process of policy formulation. A listing of
major organizations which can provide you with a "voice" are
listed at the end.
WHITEHOUSE LEGISLATIVE GOALS
A background session held prior to U.S. VP Gore's speech focused
on the key issues as seen from the Whitehouse .
" the Telecommunications Act of '34 dealt with a much different
world. We have now had the challenge of coming up with models
that define competition in the modern world where you don't have
competition that's based just on how many wire go into your
house, but what your access is to wireless technology.
The fact that we're going to be talking to our televisions and
watching our telephones means that we have to redefine what
competition means because we're going to be getting information
from every source imaginable. And as one person put it,
everything we do now through wires in the ground we're going to
do in the air; and everything we do now in the air we're going to
do through wires in the ground. So we have to rethink the models
at the same time that we're rethinking the technology."
VP Gore has done his homework and he is attempting to harmonize
the various interests within the administration and on the hill.
"first off, the Vice President has spoken with the spoken with
the sponsors of all of the bills that are on the Hill in the
last month or two and has met with many of them personally, and
has had an interagency group that has been reviewing all of that.
Tomorrow in his talk he will address where he would like to go
with some of those , although the administration proposal and
which of the bills we will incorporate and which provisions will
be announced in the January speech in Los Angeles".
Laudably the focus on social issues is clear.
" This isn't so much about technology, although that's what we
read about every day, as it is about technology's effects on the
way we communicate and the way we're going to communicate, and
who will have information and who will not.
And the provision of information to the public, to schools,
hospitals, libraries, as well as to the economically well-off
sectors of society is a crucial point that we want to make sure
is included in any reforms that happen".
The nature of the administration's position on Universal Access
is not so clear.
" The extent of how we define universal service is actively under
discussion. And the question of subsidies or rate subsidies is
also a very difficult one. As you know, the definition of
universal service has gone to having a party line phone to having
an individual line. Is call-waiting part of universal service?
Is a modem hook-up part of universal service? Those are some of
the questions that we have to answer. We don't expect to have
all of the answers, because the market will surprise us down the
road in terms of what's available".
The above quotes come from the report of the background session.
In the speech itself Gore said
" We cannot relax restrictions from legislation and judicial
decisions without strong commitments and safeguards that there
will be a "public right of way" on the information highway. We
must protect the interests of the public sector.
That's essential in building the information highway.
That's essential in providing affordable services for public
education, public health and government.
The less fortunate sectors of the population must have
access to a minimum level of information services through
subsidies or other forms of a public interest tithe."
[....................... matter deleted]
Referring to the many technologies being used by reporters
hearing the speech he said
" All of these forms of communication bring us together --they
allow us to participate in a virtually instantaneous dialogue.
They will allow us to debate, and then to build a consensus, on
the nature of the information infrastructure, on the details of
legislation, on the nature of regulation.
But, even more, as I said at the outset, these methods of
communication allow us to build a society that is healthier, more
prosperous, and better educated. They will allow us to
strengthen the bonds of community and to build new "information
communities."
A FLAW IN THE WHITEHOUSE VISION
In Vice President Gore's explanation of the administration's
policy on the Information Highway there are a number of features
of particular importance to advocates and operators of community
networks.
Before going into details, its important to point out one major
apparent gap in the Vice President's understanding of the
Internet.
He apparently does not understand that the Cyberspace is not just
a communications medium and tool for the distribution of
information. It is most importantly a new opportunity to create
compilations of information that meet specific needs.
The most remarkable resources on the internet are its specialized
compilations. Examples of excellent new resources include Fednet
for government information, The History gopher for historians,
Riceinfo for students and others with broad general interests;
and the National Capital Free-net for residents of Ottawa Canada
and the world wide Internet community.
And among these compilations the most valuable are those that
feature interactive services. It is specificly interactivity that
is the most revolutionary aspect of the information highway.
Free-nets and other civic network services are the most
significant examples of such interactive compilations. They have
the greatest potential for providing significant improvements in
social service delivery, in life long learning opportunities, and
in local access to information for both individuals and smaller
businesses. Precisely because they provide local compilations
tailored to local needs, they encourage broad general use and the
development of sophisticated interactive resources. Only a civic
net can develop the panoply of attractive resources that generate
this synergistic effect. Where else can battered women hope to
learn immediately about available shelter resources for
themselves and at the same time obtain initial medical advice.
Where else can a student study foreign language with both foriegn
nationals and locals who are native speakers of that language.
Educating the legislators who will shape this next body of
communication law is our most important current task.
COMMENTARY ON THE VICE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
A: Free-nets and community networks were not specificly mentioned
in either the background briefing or the speech itself.
B: Commercial competition was described as the primary mechanism
of guaranteeing access. The need for special access provisions
for students, educational institutions, and other special
populations was recognized.
C: The issue of privacy and encryption was also not mentioned.
D: Implied by the announcement was a commitment to encourage
involvement by states and municipalities in the process of
"guided deregulation".
E: Access -by all potential service providers - to all "bit"
marketing media was emphasised
F: The Internet itself was described as a precursor to the
information highway.
G: There was little recognition that the Internet is a global
entity.
BACKGROUND on what was and wasn't said.
[supplied by the compiler]
WHY THE INTERNET IS ONLY A PRECURSOR TO THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY.
1 - It is already possible to send digitized data along any
communication network. And all networks can already be
interconnected. This means cable, radio, TV, and the phone system
are all unifiable and will soon be treated as a single network.
2 - 98% of all North American households have telephones and
their ordinary twisted pair phone lines can carry 100 megabits of
data,when they have the proper equipment at the endpoints. Less
than 1 percent of Chinese household have phones or are ever
likely to get copper wire to the home. Advances in cellular
technology have made interactive cellular TV a current reality so
the rest of the world does not need wire to be connected. Most of
the Third World will simply jump directly to wireless
communication technologies.
In essence the technology is already hear, so cost must decline
and services be provided before global access becomes a reality.
3 - Broadcast holography - the highest bit demanding technology
currently being developed - can be transmitted within the limits
of phone wire's 100 megabits of data. At least 4 real time, full
color interactive TV channels can also be carried simultaneously
over your phone line.
4 - The next generation of TV - High Definition TV (HDTV) - will
consist of computers pretending to be televisions. They will have
full interactive capability and will be fundamentally digital,
not analog units. If the history of color TV repeats itself, even
households without phones will have such TV's within a decade or
two of their appearance
WHY ALL PROVIDERS NEED ACCESS TO ALL COMMUNICATION NETS.
1 - Everyone and anyone is potentially an information provider,
but not everyone has access to specific communications channels
now. Without internetworking access, pockets of information
exclusion will persist. Isolated communities in for example -
Alaska, Canada, and Mongolia need access - even China, currently
attempting to isolate itself from satellite broadcasts will
eventually realize its error. Universal access is critical. It
should not matter if it requires cable, radio or satellite
services. Legislatively mandated access is needed to provide
guarantees. Such legislation, hopefully, will be introduced in
every country and be supplemented by international telecom law.
2 - Current consumers of some communications services have not
benefited from technologically based cost savings. Telephone
service delivery costs have declined 98% in the past decade but
North American consumers have not seen these savings passed on to
them. In Hong Kong cellular service is provided for a low monthly
fee. In North America every incoming and outgoing call is billed
on a per minute of use basis. In Britain cable companies already
offer phone service at lower rates than the state owned telco.
Competition between alternative communication channels and on
each channel really is need to allow communication costs to
decline as rapidly as we seen computer equipment cost decline.
WHY STATE AND MUNICIPALITIES MUST BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS.
1 - Emerging legislation may mandate shared costs for the
services to special populations. It will certainly mandate shared
responsibility over the allocation of fiscal resources - block
grants - for these communities. Municipalities in particular have
a strong interest in requiring and providing universal access, as
a means of lowering the costs associated with service delivery
and regulatory enforcement. Advocates and operators of civic nets
need to educate municipal and state officials now. The pace of
legislative action at the federal level is breathtaking, and
without informed participation by state and local officials, the
principal allies the civic networking movement will be left out
of the process.
2 - Much of the federal legislation will require state
legislatures to enact or modify laws to complete the process.
Errors and omission at the Federal level can be corrected in
State and municipal legislation.
WHY PRIVACY ISSUES HAVE TO BE CLOSELY MONITORED IN UPCOMING
LEGISLATION.
1 - This administration remains committed to supporting the
elements of law enforcement and intelligence communities that
fear real privacy of communication. An attempt will almost
certainly be made to use this round of legislative action to
reintroduce regressive legislation on this subject.
The appointment this week of Mr. Inman - former head of NSA - as
Secretary of Defense virtually assures this.
2 - The seductive force of access to the seat of power can
already be seen in the misstep on the Clipper chip by EFF. [EFF -
which has been enjoying unusually good access to the Whitehouse -
advocated "voluntary" acceptance of the clipper chip]. CPSR
caught this in time, but a concerted effort will be needed to
prevent this kind of thing from affecting final versions of
legislation, which are crafted in non-public joint mark-up
sessions.
3 - The proponents of a government right to invade your privacy
are not trustworthy repositories of private information. These
are the same folks who received 100s of billions in funding to
monitor the Soviet Union, yet failed to predict its demise or to
believe it had occurred long after it was an accomplished fact.
They are now quietly lobbying the Whitehouse for a new role -
Defending America business through covert action and monitoring.
They are actually only attempting to defended their blotted
budgets. If they succeed it will only harm both individual
privacy and the competitive capacity of the U.S.
The public justifications for "monitoring" are ludicrous.
Anyone wishing to avoid legislatively mandate government access
to private communications will simply avoid the nets. The rest of
us will be subject to the decisions of this group as to which
businesses are "America" and which of those deserve covert
"service." Such a stance can only lead to a profound
disinclination on the part of Global firms to business in and
with the U.S. Or to communicate over the U.S. portion of the
global net.
WHY ACCESS PROVISIONS FOR SPECIAL POPULATIONS ARE NEEDED.
1 - Almost no classrooms presently have phone access.
2 - The vast majority of recipients of Federal, State, and local
social assistance are among the 45% of the North American
population without a personal computer in their household. No
significant improvements in social services and no significant
declines in the cost of delivering those services is possible,
unless universal access is provided. Civic networks are the best
current model for moving towards universal access.
WHY FREE-NETS AND CIVIC NETS HAVE YET TO BE MENTIONED IN WHITE
HOUSE MATERIALS.
1 - The White House does not understand the benefits of civic
networks.
2 - The Civic networking community is not politically
sophisticated.
3 - The political infrastructure needed to impact upcoming
legislative activity does not exist.
MONITORING THE LEGISLATIVE ACTION
The American Library Association's electronic newsletter can
be expected to monitor this legislation closely, Subscribe by
sending e-mail to : LISTSERV@UICMV.UIC.EDU
In the body of the mail write -
subscribe ala-wo (your name)
PARTICIPATING IN THE PROCESS
Clearly those of us who believe in local community nets with
global access have got to get busy. The role and value of civic
nets may be obvious to us. It is not obvious to the legislators
who will be deciding on these matters.
The physical net is a product of the business community. Its
largest segment is based on software developed by a combination
of government money and voluntarily contributed labour.
Its content is largely contributed voluntarily for the benefit of
all interested parties.
In this is differs from any prior human cultural institution
except our inherited cultures themselves. They too represent an
inherited and shared body of knowledge and practices and beliefs
which are not beneficial possessed [owned] by any particular
person.
We must work to guarantee this public spirited quality along with
the governments goals of universal access.
I suggest that we take as a model the successful effort led by
Jim Warren in California to pass AB1624 [ it makes all California
legislative information publicly available over the Internet ].
This legislation was virtually dead when Warren began garnering
support for it within California's computer and political
communities. Over a several month period the legislature received
1,000s of letters and faxes in support of the bill. It is now
law.
AB1624 will take effect Jan.1, 1994. It is a FIRST; this is the
first time that comprehensive information about state
legislation-in-process and state laws have been made available
by a state via the nonproprietary public computer networks,
especially without any fees charged by the state, all mandated by
law.
When Warren began his efforts the legislators refused to believe
that anyone would voluntarily work to make government information
public. They asked how the State could make money form this
effort and how the Internet volunteers would make money. Slowly
they were educated to the point where the law made sense to them
and it passed.
With the same spirit and determination that jim showed, both U.S.
citizens and foreigners - like me - should participate in
guaranteeing a role for civic networks. As VP Gore said in his
speech " The challenge is not, in the end, the new technology.
It is holding true to our basic principles."
U.S. CITIZENS -
U.S. citizens have a number of options open to them: The
least effective action you can take is posting messages to the
Internet. The Whitehouse monitors some of this traffic but most
congresspersons don't.
While the Whitehouse is proposing legislation, it is congress
that will decide what happens.
1 - Join one of the organizations listed below. Numbers matter
when it comes to having your voice heard in the legislative
process. Your dollars will help them participate in the process
and your membership will increase their impact.
2 - Send a fax -to the local office - of each of your municipal,
state, and congressional reps.
Let them know how important this legislation and the role of
civic nets will be in its impact on the future social and
financial health of the U.S. Tell them you will be following
their actions locally.
3 - Encourage the state and local chapters of all organizations
you belong to - to join these organizations and - to take a
position on local legislative actions.
4 - E-mail the Whitehouse - tell them you appreciate their
actions but you believe they have failed to recognize the
importance of civic networks. Send messages to :
vice.president@whitehouse.gov
NON U.S. MEMBERS OF THE INTERNET COMMUNITY CAN GET INVOLVED -
1 - E-mail the Whitehouse and let them know that the Legislation
implementing the NII will have a global impact. Tell them about
your perspective on this legislation.
2 - Encourage your government to participate in this process by
monitoring U.S. legislative actions, and preparing to enact
legislation that reflects your distinct national needs.
3 - Participate in international Telecom activities
4 - Educate your government on the economic and social importance
of maintaining technological parity. Emphasis the importance of
civic networks in providing a low cost means of remaining on the
leading edge of global social and technical developments.
SOURCES OF ASSISTANCE
1 - THE CENTER FOR CIVIC NETWORKING
CCN can be reached at 617-241-9205 or ccn@civicnet.org
To be added to their policy mailing list, send a request to
nii_agenda-request@civicnet.org.
Although almost dormant to date, the center may yet prove a major
actor in the work to shape future legislation.
2 - CPSR - Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
This organization is my preferrence as an advocate in the absence
of any decision by NPTN to take part in this process.
It has a large network of chapters which can work on the state
and local level. Its 20,000 members provide an important base for
information dissemination and advocacy.
In each case, the addresses listed below are on the machine
csli.stanford.edu, so that the Internet style addresses should be
cpsr-board@csli.stanford.edu, for example.
CPSR-CHAPTERS
cpsr-acadiana
cpsr-madison cpsr-philadelphia
cpsr-austin
cpsr-maine cpsr-pittsburgh
cpsr-berkeley
cpsr-milwaukee cpsr-portland
cpsr-boston
cpsr-minnesota cpsr-san-diego
cpsr-chicago
cpsr-new-haven cpsr-santa-cruz
cpsr-denver-boulder cpsr-new-york cpsr-seattle
cpsr-los-angeles cpsr-palo-alto cpsr-washington-dc
Please contact and join your nearest chapter.
for more information gopher to
gopher.cpsr.org
3: EFF - the Electronic Frontier Foundation has played a
significant role in advocating for strong civil liberties and
high quality services on the Internet.
for information gopher to gopher.eff.org
These 3 groups and many others along with a plethora of
additional information is available for access through the
wonderful Rice University gopher.
gopher to RICEINFO.RICE.EDU --> GOVERNMENT, POLITICAL SCIENCE,
AND LAW.
Happy New Year. Sam Sternberg samsam@vm1.yorku.ca
Please feel free to use this newsletter as you see fit.
.
