> > On March 7, the Alliance for Public Technology sent the following letter to > the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in support of > restoration of the NTIAâs Technology Opportunities Program. ÂAPT urges you > to > contact members of the Commerce Committee to voice your opinion before > Thursday, March 10, the date set for Committee consideration of NTIA > authorization. >  > *** > March 7, 2005 >  > The Honorable Ted Stevens > Chairman > Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation > United States Senate > 508 Dirksen Senate Office Building > Washington, DC 20510 >  > Dear Chairman Stevens: >  > On Thursday, March 10, 2005, the Commerce Committee will meet to consider > legislation to reauthorize the National Telecommunications and Information > Administration (âNTIAâ). As part of this effort, the Alliance for > Public > Technology (âAPTâ)* strongly encourages you to support the continuation > of NTIAâs > Technology Opportunities Program (TOP). The permanent loss of this federal > grant initiative would be a serious blow to our nationâs communities, as > they > struggle to achieve access to advanced telecommunications capability. >  > While the Administrationâs FY 2006 Budget again recommends that TOP not be > funded, few programs can match the TOP model for enhancing public safety, > overcoming digital inequities, and providing opportunities for communities to > use technology as a means for social and economic growth. Given the > Administrationâs own goal of achieving affordable access to broadband by > 2007, it is > vital for Congress to continue to authorize and fund this cost-effective and > productive program. >  > The most recent round of projects funded by TOP illustrates the importance > of this grant program. Important community needs that FY 2004 grantees are > addressing include: > â Job training using WiFi and WiMax technologies > â Broadband video conferencing for tribal telemedicine > â Sensors and wireless broadband for fire detection in the > California wilderness > â IP-based video phones for language translations in hospital > emergency rooms > â Broadband and sensors for remote in-home monitoring of senior > citizens > â Broadband over power lines for remote in-home monitoring of > children with asthma > â Web-based training for emergency first responders > â Broadband for minority and women-owned e-commerce businesses > â WiFi connections for rural citizens with local governments > â Internet-2 telehealth services for people with developmental > disabilities > â Computer simulations to manage urban evacuations > â Research on emergency location identification for IP phones > â Transmission of high resolutions images of burn victims > > >  > No other government program provides the competitive matching grants that > serve as an incentive to encourage the use of broadband technologies in the > public and non-profit sectors. Furthermore, the private sector has > recognized > the value of TOP, and companies that provided matching support in FY 2004 > included Convio, Wavelength, KNS Communications, Microsoft, Cisco, Nortel, > AT&T, > SBC and Ambient Control. >  > In short, TOPâs mission of promoting the widespread availability of > advanced telecommunications and information technology is far from complete, > and APT > respectfully requests that you and your colleagues continue to support this > vital program. >  > Thank you for your consideration of our views. >  > Sincerely, >  > Daniel B. Phythyon > Public Policy Director > Alliance for Public Technology >  > CC: The Honorable Daniel Inouye >  The Honorable John McCain >  The Honorable Conrad Burns > The Honorable Trent Lott > The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison > The Honorable Olympia Snowe > The Honorable Gordon Smith > The Honorable John Ensign > The Honorable George Allen > The Honorable John Sununu > The Honorable Jim DeMint > The Honorable David Vitter > The Honorable John D. Rockefeller IV > The Honorable John Kerry > The Honorable Byron Dorgan > The Honorable Barbara Boxer > The Honorable Bill Nelson > The Honorable Maria Cantwell > The Honorable Frank Lautenberg > The Honorable E. Benjamin Nelson > The Honorable Mark Pryor >  > *** >  > > > >  > > >
* APT is a nonprofit membership organization based in Washington, D.C., which was founded in 1989 to foster public policies that ensure access to advanced telecommunications technologies for all Americans. Â Â _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
