IP: Tech goes to bat for broadband

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com>
>
>
> Tech goes to bat for broadband
> David R. Baker, Chronicle Staff Writer
> Tuesday, January 15, 2002
> ©2002 San Francisco Chronicle
>
> URL: 
> <http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/01/15/BU166864.DTL&type=business>
>
> The federal government needs to make expansion of high-speed, broadband 
> Internet service a national priority and should push for wiring most 
> American homes and small businesses by 2010, a group representing some of 
> Silicon Valley's largest companies will recommend today.
>
> Without a concerted effort, the United States could see its position as a 
> worldwide leader in new technology erode as other countries move forward 
> with creating broadband networks, the TechNet public policy group will argue.
>
> "Ubiquitous broadband is quite simply the key to the next generation of 
> the Internet, to unparalleled opportunities for economic growth and to 
> immeasurable improvements in our quality of life," a draft of the group's 
> recommendations reads. "It is critical that the United States adopt a 
> national broadband policy."
>
> The group -- a bipartisan lobbying group that includes executives from 
> such tech heavyweights as Cisco Systems, Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp. 
> -- wants the government to trim regulations and fees that stand in the way 
> of extending broadband networks. TechNet also will call for making more of 
> the electromagnetic spectrum available for wireless broadband systems and 
> giving tax breaks to companies that bridge the "digital divide" by wiring 
> lower- income communities.
>
> That doesn't mean TechNet's members want a government handout to extend 
> services that would, in the end, make them money, said Connie Correll, 
> executive vice president for the group.
>
> "We're not really asking the government for anything," she said. "You need 
> the government to set a goal. We need to be here by a certain date. We 
> need to create an environment that will get us there."
>
> The group's members would benefit greatly from extending broadband 
> service. While the Internet has made tremendous inroads into American 
> homes, acceptance of the more expensive broadband service has lagged, 
> despite the higher speeds broadband brings. More subscribers could drive 
> up the demand for many of the products and services the companies in 
> TechNet offer.
>
> "For all the companies, it's going to benefit everyone across the board," 
> said Chris Sessing, an equity research analyst at Crowell, Weedon & Co. in 
> Los Angeles. "Cisco is going to have to put in more switches. The modem 
> guys will have to make more modems. It's a trickle-down effect."
>
> TechNet argues that expanding broadband service would benefit the country 
> as a whole, from workers who would be able to telecommute more easily to 
> doctors who could work with patients located far away.
>
> The group wants federal authorities to set a goal of making affordable 
> broadband connections available to 100 million American homes and small 
> businesses by the decade's end. To get there, the group proposes several 
> policies:
>
> -- Avoid regulating new technologies that rely on broadband, such as 
> carrying phone calls over Internet connections.
>
> -- Trim fees that local governments impose on broadband providers for 
> using public rights of way to link their networks to individual homes.
>
> -- Reallocate a portion of the broadcast spectrum to help extend wireless 
> broadband services to rural communities.
>
> E-mail David R. Baker at dbaker () sfchronicle com.

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