IP: 1998-10-28 Statement By The President on Next Generation Internet

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

|                             THE WHITE HOUSE
|
|                      Office of the Press Secretary
| ________________________________________________________________________
| For Immediate Release                                   October 28, 1998
|
|
|                        STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
|
|
|    I am pleased to sign into law H.R. 3332, the "Next Generation
| Internet Research Act of 1998."  Building on the solid foundation of 
| the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991, this bill authorizes an
| ambitious new research program in advanced communication technologies
| that will be critical for assuring American prosperity, national and
| economic security, and international competitiveness in the 21st
| century.
|
|    Federal investment in computer networking technology and related
| fields spurred technological developments that have created new
| businesses and jobs; given powerful new tools to the research community;
| made it easier for citizens to participate in their government; allowed
| small businesses, remote communities, and people with disabilities to
| participate in the world economy; and improved the Nation's quality of
| life.  The work launched by this bill will lead to even greater
| achievements.
|
|      Specifically, H.R. 3332 authorizes the National Science Foundation,
| Department of Energy, National Institutes of Health, National
| Aeronautics and Space Administration, and National Institute of
| Standards and Technology to work with America's business and academic
| communities in an ambitious new research program.  The role of the
| Department of Defense in this research has already been authorized in
| Public Law 105-261, which I signed on October 17, 1998.  This research
| will lead to a new generation of Internet capabilities that will provide
| connections that are not only much faster, but also more reliable,
| secure, and high-quality.  The next generation of the Internet will
| facilitate a range of unprecedented new services -- such as the ability
| to support tele-surgery and other medical services -- which require
| extremely high levels of reliability and protection.
|
|    The bill also authorizes an advanced "testbed" network that will link
| key Federal and university research centers.  These testbeds will permit
| America's leading research teams to develop new Internet techniques and
| demonstrate how those techniques can advance a wide range of critical
| research initiatives.
|
|    This forward-looking legislation will help ensure that the Nation
| continues to support a balanced program of research in high-speed
| computers, communication systems, and the software necessary to put
| technology to practical use at work and at home.
|
|    Vice President Gore's vision and leadership led to the 1991
| High-Performance Computing Act, and I want to thank him for the key role
| he has played in ensuring that research in this critical and fast-paced
| area is focused on the most important missions and is managed
| efficiently.  This new legislation will build on that standard of
| excellence.
|
|                                  WILLIAM J. CLINTON
|
|                                  THE WHITE HOUSE,
|                                  October 28, 1998.
|
|
|                                 30-30-30