PUBLIC SERVICE ROLE OF NREN REAFFIRMED BY U.S. SENATE FINS SPECIAL REPORT

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

An award for anyone who actually fiqures out just what constainst if any
the wording


the experimental test bed networks offered under sec. 102 of the HPC Act will
continue to offer commercial services, provided that such services are for
the purposes approved by the act.


can or will actually place on the supplying of commercial services over the
test bed networks. After all any such use will derive revenue that will
help pay for such facilities and then support the purposes etc..


Ah what complex plots we ....


Dave






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FINS SPECIAL REPORT                                        MARCH 21, 1994
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PUBLIC SERVICE ROLE OF NREN REAFFIRMED BY U.S. SENATE
Conference Committee Must Resolve Differences With House


Washington, DC   The U.S. Senate passed Mar 16, Freedom of Information Day,
by a vote of 59 to 40, the National Competitiveness Act of 1994, including
provisions contained in title VI of the bill, the "Information Technology
Applications Research Program."  Included in the bill is an amendment to
sec. 102 of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991, the National
Research and Education Program (Network Program).


As passed by the Senate, under the leadership of Sen. Ernest F. Hollings,
reportedly worked out with the agreement of libraries and White House
staff Mike Nelson, the Network Program will authorize funding for (among
other matters), test bed networks for "connections and associated network
services."  Sen. Hollings told FINS at a news conference at the Capitol
Mar 16, that key provisions of the substitute amendment approved by the
Senate would assure that "there would be no change in the NREN program
that is now working so well."  What was worked out with the administration
and library groups, Sen Hollings added, was to set up "a fire wall" to
make sure that the NREN "is not used to compete with private industry."
In short, the strict two-level network system including (1) "experimental
networks" and (2) "production networks" that industry has been advocating
since the fall of 1992, *has not prevailed.* Under the agreed measure the
experimental test bed networks offered under sec. 102 of the HPC Act will
continue to offer commercial services, provided that such services are for
the purposes approved by the act.


The measure also includes new provisions sought behind the scenes by the
leadership of the Joint Committee on Printing with respect to information
services (sec. 102(e)).  This would assure that the director of the White
House Science Office, in coordinating the activities of appropriate
agencies "shall consult with the Superintendent of Documents in order to
facilitate compatibility of information systems and eliminate unnecessary
redundancy."


A more restrictive bill that sanctions strict industry control over the
NREN was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last summer (H.R.
1757), was referred to the Subcommittee on Education, Arts, and Humanities,
of the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources.  The Committee has
not reported that matter, however.  The Senate has requested a conference
with the House on the differences between the two houses concerning the
National Competitiveness Act (S.4 and H.R.820), which will now go forward
designated as H.R.820.  The Senate conferees appointed Mar 16, 1994 are
Mr. Hollings, Mr. Rockefeller, and Mr. Danforth.  The office of the
House Parliamentarian informed FINS Mar 21, that no conferees had yet been
appointed by that body to consider H.R.820.


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