[DDN] E-rate Reform Bottled Up in 108th Congress
From today's TRDaily ... KEY TELECOM MEASURES LEFT UNFINISHED; LAWMAKERS COULD RETURN NEXT MONTH Congress completed action on some telecom legislation over the weekend but left several key measures pending, including legislation on spectrum relocation, enhanced 911 (E911), and universal service. Backers of the provisions, however, say they hope lawmakers will address them if they return next month to pass intelligence reform legislation. Backers of the E911, spectrum relocation fund, and universal service measure had hoped to get it through Congress as part of a catch-all bill in the waning hours before lawmakers wrapped up their business over the weekend. But those hopes ran into several obstacles. First, a non-telecom item dealing with boxing reforming language pushed by Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.), chairman of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, stalled the telecom bill. The boxing measure had not passed the House, and leaders in that chamber indicated that the catch-all legislation might not pass there if the boxing language was attached, congressional sources said. Also, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R., Texas) indicated that he wouldn't permit any legislation to pass that was sponsored by a senator who opposed cloture on energy legislation, sources said. Sen. McCain, chief sponsor of the spectrum trust fund bill, was one of the senators to oppose cloture. The Universal Service Fund language, which would exempt until the end of next year the USF from provisions of the Anti-Deficiency Act (ADA), also was pushed by Sen. McCain. In addition, Sen. Robert Byrd (D., W.Va.), the ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Committee, raised objections Friday with the spectrum relocation fund measure, according to congressional sources. Specifically, he was concerned that it would allow the Department of Defense to draw down funds to relocate to other spectrum without going through the congressional appropriations process, sources said. Similar concerns expressed by the committee's chairman, Sen. Ted Stevens (R., Alaska) had been addressed, but Sen. Byrd was not satisfied, a Senate aide said. To make matters worse, House Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle (R., Iowa) had concerns about the scoring ramifications of the USF measure, according to an equity brief released today by Medley Global Advisors. The Office of Management and Budget also opposed efforts by Sen. John D. (Jay) Rockefeller (D., W.Va.) to get the USF measure passed as a standalone measure, the Senate aide said. In response to the Senate inaction, the House passed a bill combining the spectrum relocation, E911, and USF measures and sent it to the Senate. Senate aides speculated the move was an effort by House leaders to show that they weren't holding up action on the telecom legislation. In other telecom measures, language concerning the return of analog channels as part of the digital (TV) transition is still part of intelligence overhaul legislation that is stuck in Congress. Lawmakers say if they can reach an agreement on the intelligence bill, they will return in early December to pass it. However, the DTV language has been watered down considerably from earlier language. It expresses a nonbinding sense of Congress that it must pass legislation in the next session to facilitate the return of the analog channels as soon as Dec. 31, 2006. Senate conferees recently presented House negotiators with a compromise bill that included a firm Jan. 1, 2009, deadline for the end of the DTV transition. Senate intelligence legislation that passed the Senate would have set a firm Jan. 1, 2008, deadline for public safety agencies to gain access to 24 megahertz of 700 MHz band spectrum allocated for their use. The House intelligence bill included nonbinding language endorsing a firm Dec. 31, 2006, deadline for completion of the entire DTV transition. Several telecom measures did get through in the hours before Congress left town over the weekend. Omnibus appropriations legislation for fiscal year 2005 included language that prohibits the FCC from enacting a primary line restriction on USF. The Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service recommended such a restriction earlier this year. Also, the omnibus bill included language that directed the FCC not to take action that would result in an increase in rates for prepaid calling cards used by military personnel. ATT Corp. had asked the FCC for an exemption so it wouldn't have to pay access and USF contributions for pre-paid calling card services. Also in the spending bill is language resolving a dispute between ATT and General Communication, Inc., regarding tariffed wholesale traffic to and from the lower 48 states and Alaska. Backers of some of the pending measures urged lawmakers to deal with them if they return briefly next month to complete action on the intelligence reform legislation. The House could return Dec. 6, while the Senate could return
Re: [DDN] TOP Eliminated
Dear Dr. Wilhelm: I'm very sorry to hear that TOP isn't funded for 2005. Although I didn't receive a grant the one time I applied, I was very impressed with the program. I was especially impressed with how knowledgeable and competent the TOP staff were at the workshop I attended. I remarked to colleagues on it for months afterwards. Judging from that workshop, I know the TOP staff will land on their feet. But it is sad that the nation can't continue to benefit from the work they began. Sincerely, Bob Hirshon Senior Project Director American Association for the Advancement of Science [EMAIL PROTECTED] - 11/22/04 4:18 PM The Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) did not receive an appropriation in the just completed FY 2005 Consolidated (Omnibus) Appropriations bill. With over a quarter-billion dollars invested since 1994, the TOP program has successfully served as a catalyst for innovative nonprofit organizations and public institutions to tackle pressing social challenges using advanced information and communications technologies. The Program has leveraged over $313 million in non-Federal resources. During its operation, the Program made 610 grants. Anthony G. Wilhelm, Ph.D. Director, Technology Opportunities Program National Telecommunications and Information Administration U.S. Department of Commerce 1401 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Room 4893 Washington, D.C. 20230 (202) 482-1216 fax: (202) 501-5136 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.ntia.doc.gov/top/ ___ 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. ___ 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.
[DDN] Calls for computer science to be made compulsory subject in German schools
From Heise Online -ac Calls for computer science to be made compulsory subject in German schools On the background of leaks of results of the new study by the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) -- a program developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to assess the reading, mathematics and science literacy of 15-year-olds in all participating countries -- the German Gesellschaft für Informatik [Computer Science Association] (GI)) yesterday called for the adoption of measures to combat the digital divide in Germany and for the foundations of an understanding of modern digital tools to be laid in early education. As the PISA studies and the study Trends in International Mathematics and Science (TIMSS; formerly known as the Third International Mathematics and Science Study, undertaken by the International Association for Evaluation of Educational Achievement [IEA]) have shown German pupils in terms of educational accomplishments are in many subjects average at best. Badly needed innovations, ideas and developments required creatively thinking minds extensively educated in the basic cultural techniques, the Association noted. Besides reading, writing and arithmetic the competent handling of digital media had meanwhile established itself as a fourth basic cultural technique, GI president Matthias Jarke said in Bonn. Although meanwhile 83 percent of 14-to-18-year-olds in Germany were able to use the Internet, there is more to handling a computer in a responsible fashion than being able to open a Web page or write an e-mail, Mr. Jarke pointed out. For this reason the Association was calling for computer science to be made a compulsory subject at all general schools in Germany, for it to be made a fixture at the senior grammar school level and for it to be accorded the status of a fully-fledged examination subject at all secondary schools. What was more, the GI was demanding that the subject of computer science be only taught by teachers who had been properly educated or properly further educated in the subject. http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/53547 -- --- Andy Carvin Program Director EDC Center for Media Community acarvin @ edc . org http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org Blog: http://www.andycarvin.com --- ___ 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.
[DDN] Conference on Women in E-Governance
ONLINE DISCUSSION Annamalai University, one of the top ranking Universities in India, is organizing a Conference on Women in E-Governance in association with two other organizations viz: International Center for Dalit Studies and Anitra Trust, Chennai for two days during December 20-21, 2004 at Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. The detailed information of the conference is available at our website: www.witindia.org The rationale of the conference is that, with the emergence of the knowledge based society (KBS), there arise a need for genuine participation of the government and other stakeholders in sharing information with the community at large. In this context, the concern of the administrators is how to ensure women and the minority group of people, an equal access to information and knowledge as well as equal opportunities to participate in the e-governance activities. It is right time to develop e-governance mechanisms and participatory approaches in support of women's empowerment and strengthen their capacity to monitor government actions. The major focus of the conference is to identify the gender roles in the design, implementation and use of the e-governance projects and practices in the public and private sectors. It will also find out issues related to gender gaps in gaining access to e-services and e-processes in the vital areas of activities such as agriculture, education, health, marketing and business etc and to identify strategies and training programmes to involve more women in e-governance. The specific questions that are going to be deliberated in this conference include: What are the gender specific antecedents that impede women's access to government information and public services? What strategies could be adopted to give access to government schemes and making woman aware of their rights? And how to create political awareness among woman along with IT skills and to make them participate in e-Administration? What efforts have been made to incorporate women in the e-governance initiatives undertaken by the government, private and corporate sector? What kind of women targeted technologies, programmes and training modules have been initiated to increase women's access to government services? How to achieve gender democracy in public administration? FORWARDED Bonnie Bracey [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ 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.
Re: [DDN] TOP Eliminated
dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb so much for the vaulted demand-driven strategy for broadband deployment -- unless Congress and the Bush Administration believe that games and porno will be enough to drive demand. At 04:18 PM 11/22/2004, you wrote: The Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) did not receive an appropriation in the just completed FY 2005 Consolidated (Omnibus) Appropriations bill. With over a quarter-billion dollars invested since 1994, the TOP program has successfully served as a catalyst for innovative nonprofit organizations and public institutions to tackle pressing social challenges using advanced information and communications technologies. The Program has leveraged over $313 million in non-Federal resources. During its operation, the Program made 610 grants. Anthony G. Wilhelm, Ph.D. Director, Technology Opportunities Program National Telecommunications and Information Administration U.S. Department of Commerce 1401 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Room 4893 Washington, D.C. 20230 (202) 482-1216 fax: (202) 501-5136 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.ntia.doc.gov/top/ Kenan Patrick Jarboe, Ph.D. Athena Alliance 911 East Capitol Street, SE Washington, DC 20003-3903 (202) 547-7064 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.athenaalliance.org ___ 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.
