Pleading to Washington for broadband
Excerpt: #Likening the task to the 1960s effort to put a man on the moon, #John Chambers, chief executive of Cisco Systems Inc., is asking #that the federal government commit to making broadband connections #available to every home by 2010. http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB993418457489449631.htm # #Tech Industry Seeks Its Salvation June 25, 2001 #In High-Speed Internet Connections # #By SCOTT THURM and GLENN R. SIMPSON #Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL # #High-tech executives think they've found a cure for the industry's #deepest slump in a decade: High-speed Internet access for #everyone. # #For years, telephone and cable-TV companies have been promising #to build high-speed broadband networks, which let consumers #and small businesses tap the Internet 20 or 30 times faster than #conventional phone lines, yet the rollout has been slow. There's #little agreement, even within the tech world, on the ground rules #for building such networks, which would cost tens of billions #of dollars. But suddenly the topic has rocketed to the top of #the technology industry's agenda in Washington, where #traditionally distant tech executives are asking for help. # #The chairmen of International Business Machines Corp., Intel #Corp., Motorola Inc. and others last week met with key lawmakers #and National Economic Council officials to support bills that #would provide tax credits for building high-speed networks in #rural areas and economically depressed inner cities. Other #executives propose broader tax breaks, comparing broadband #Internet links with the government-financed interstate highway #or rural electric systems. # #Likening the task to the 1960s effort to put a man on the moon, #John Chambers, chief executive of Cisco Systems Inc., is asking #that the federal government commit to making broadband connections #available to every home by 2010. A Cisco lobbyist calls the effort #our No. 1 goal (although a spokesman says Mr. Chambers doesn't #think the government would be the one to build the network). # #Some tech executives argue that extending broadband networks #would help revive the national economy, because tech spending #contributed such a large share of economic growth in recent years. #The stimulation would go well beyond hardware and software #providers, says Phil Bond, Hewlett-Packard Co.'s top Washington #lobbyist. # #But some analysts are struck by the sudden change in an industry #that previously distanced itself from Washington. Technology #companies are going to Washington looking for a bailout, says #Scott Cleland, chief executive of the Precursor Group, a #Washington-based independent research company. That tells you #their situations are awfully bad because when times were good #they were telling the government to stay away. # #Monday, more than 40 tech executives are set to meet at H-P's #Palo Alto, Calif., headquarters to rally behind the broadband #effort and discuss possible policy initiatives. Other tech groups #have similar efforts under way. Last week's lobbying was #orchestrated by the Computer Systems Policy Project, which #represents big computer companies. The administration is #listening carefully to all segments of industry and working with #lawmakers and regulators to assess policy alternatives to #accelerate broadband deployment, a White House spokesman says. # #The renewed push for broadband stems from widespread disappoi #ntment with the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which was supposed #to encourage competition, particularly for local phone service. #But many of the upstarts that challenged the Baby Bells couldn't #make profits and got hurt in the collapse of the high-tech bubble. #And companies that built data networks to carry an expected flood #of Internet traffic are starving for business. # #Tech executives fear that broadband deployment will slow even #further. A year ago, the pace was a secondary concern for big #tech companies. Then the dot-com bubble burst. Companies cut #their purchases of tech gear, and executives of tech companies #faced declining sales, losses and layoffs. Now, potential sales #resulting from a new wave of high-speed Internet connections #look like a port in a storm. # #When Mr. Chambers broached the subject before 50 executives at #a February meeting of TechNet, an industry lobbying group, 20 #hands shot up, according to a person who was in the room. TechNet #quickly assembled a working group on broadband policy, including #Mr. Chambers and executives from Intel, Microsoft Corp., 3Com #Corp. and ExciteAtHome Corp.
Pleading to Washington for broadband
Excerpt: #Likening the task to the 1960s effort to put a man on the moon, #John Chambers, chief executive of Cisco Systems Inc., is asking #that the federal government commit to making broadband connections #available to every home by 2010. http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB993418457489449631.htm # #Tech Industry Seeks Its Salvation June 25, 2001 #In High-Speed Internet Connections # #By SCOTT THURM and GLENN R. SIMPSON #Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL # #High-tech executives think they've found a cure for the industry's #deepest slump in a decade: High-speed Internet access for #everyone. # #For years, telephone and cable-TV companies have been promising #to build high-speed broadband networks, which let consumers #and small businesses tap the Internet 20 or 30 times faster than #conventional phone lines, yet the rollout has been slow. There's #little agreement, even within the tech world, on the ground rules #for building such networks, which would cost tens of billions #of dollars. But suddenly the topic has rocketed to the top of #the technology industry's agenda in Washington, where #traditionally distant tech executives are asking for help. # #The chairmen of International Business Machines Corp., Intel #Corp., Motorola Inc. and others last week met with key lawmakers #and National Economic Council officials to support bills that #would provide tax credits for building high-speed networks in #rural areas and economically depressed inner cities. Other #executives propose broader tax breaks, comparing broadband #Internet links with the government-financed interstate highway #or rural electric systems. # #Likening the task to the 1960s effort to put a man on the moon, #John Chambers, chief executive of Cisco Systems Inc., is asking #that the federal government commit to making broadband connections #available to every home by 2010. A Cisco lobbyist calls the effort #our No. 1 goal (although a spokesman says Mr. Chambers doesn't #think the government would be the one to build the network). # #Some tech executives argue that extending broadband networks #would help revive the national economy, because tech spending #contributed such a large share of economic growth in recent years. #The stimulation would go well beyond hardware and software #providers, says Phil Bond, Hewlett-Packard Co.'s top Washington #lobbyist. # #But some analysts are struck by the sudden change in an industry #that previously distanced itself from Washington. Technology #companies are going to Washington looking for a bailout, says #Scott Cleland, chief executive of the Precursor Group, a #Washington-based independent research company. That tells you #their situations are awfully bad because when times were good #they were telling the government to stay away. # #Monday, more than 40 tech executives are set to meet at H-P's #Palo Alto, Calif., headquarters to rally behind the broadband #effort and discuss possible policy initiatives. Other tech groups #have similar efforts under way. Last week's lobbying was #orchestrated by the Computer Systems Policy Project, which #represents big computer companies. The administration is #listening carefully to all segments of industry and working with #lawmakers and regulators to assess policy alternatives to #accelerate broadband deployment, a White House spokesman says. # #The renewed push for broadband stems from widespread disappoi #ntment with the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which was supposed #to encourage competition, particularly for local phone service. #But many of the upstarts that challenged the Baby Bells couldn't #make profits and got hurt in the collapse of the high-tech bubble. #And companies that built data networks to carry an expected flood #of Internet traffic are starving for business. # #Tech executives fear that broadband deployment will slow even #further. A year ago, the pace was a secondary concern for big #tech companies. Then the dot-com bubble burst. Companies cut #their purchases of tech gear, and executives of tech companies #faced declining sales, losses and layoffs. Now, potential sales #resulting from a new wave of high-speed Internet connections #look like a port in a storm. # #When Mr. Chambers broached the subject before 50 executives at #a February meeting of TechNet, an industry lobbying group, 20 #hands shot up, according to a person who was in the room. TechNet #quickly assembled a working group on broadband policy, including #Mr. Chambers and executives from Intel, Microsoft Corp., 3Com #Corp. and ExciteAtHome Corp.
Re: Pleading to Washington for broadband
At 03:00 AM 6/26/01 -0400, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Excerpt: #Likening the task to the 1960s effort to put a man on the moon, #John Chambers, chief executive of Cisco Systems Inc., is asking #that the federal government commit to making broadband connections #available to every home by 2010. And in related news, Janet Panopticon, CEO of a webcam manufacturer, suggested that the federal government commit to providing free internet enabled digital cameras sufficient for each room of a residence...
Re: Pleading to Washington for broadband
Fat old hogs moseyin' up to the trough : a bid for more corporate welfare. Tax credits! Let them pay their own way by selling goods and services. Internet connectivity is not a necessity, it is a luxury and as such should be financed the old-fashioned way. Woops! scratch that! The old-fashioned way is raising taxes or deficit spending! However good it may sound to get the country wired and give the economy a boost this seems like a bad way to do it. Want a tax break - do it across the board. Mike
