The article represents thoughts of individual members of this group in its initial meeting. I see trouble with some of the things noted. Especially things like saying "we now acknowledge there is a broadband problem". I did not like the definition of broadband as "10 megabit or more" either. This is definitely an attempt to force fiber into everyone's diet. At least WISPA has a seat in this group and hopefully we can fend off some of this forced fiber rhetoric. Rick, was your impression of the outcomes of this meeting in contrast to those stated in the article? I hope so or this group will not help, and in fact will hurt, the WISP industry. Scriv
On Wed, Dec 3, 2008 at 2:40 PM, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > And which telco is this going to bail out? Money from Congress to > industry = pay off Unions for votes. > > We will never, ever, ever, ever qualify. > > Another headliner article I read on this will redefine "broadband" as over > 10 Meg. > > Nothing like disqualifying almost the entire WISP industry... > > > > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > <insert witty tagline here> > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rick Harnish" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "'WISPA General List'" <wireless@wispa.org> > Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 11:20 AM > Subject: Re: [WISPA] Article > > > > Jeff, > > > > Just to let you know, I am in Washington DC this week participating in > the > > events below. WISPA has signed on as a supporter of the Call to Action > to > > define the Nationwide Broadband Strategy. It was great to see all the > > players of the Broadband Industry working together to attempt to bring > the > > US back up to the top of the Broadband Access ladder. It will be a busy > > three months while this strategy is defined and presented to the Obama > > Administration. > > > > Respectfully, > > > > Rick Harnish > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > > Behalf Of Jeff Broadwick > > Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 1:21 PM > > To: 'WISPA General List' > > Subject: [WISPA] Article > > > > > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/02/AR2008120203 > > 164_pf.html > > > > New Coalition Drawing Up Nationwide Broadband Access Strategy > > > > By Cecilia Kang > > Washington Post Staff Writer > > Wednesday, December 3, 2008; D03 > > > > President-elect Barack Obama has said getting affordable high-speed > > Internet > > service to every American home would create jobs, fuel economic growth > and > > spark innovation. Yesterday, representatives from technology and > > telecommunications companies, labor unions and public interest groups > > frequently at odds with one another agreed to provide the next president > > with a roadmap for how to accomplish those goals. > > > > That map could include tax breaks, low-interest loans, subsidies and > > public-private partnerships to encourage more investments in upgrading > and > > building out high-speed networks, representatives from Google, AT&T and > > public interest group Free Press said during a panel discussion on > > broadband > > policy that also served as a coming-out party for their newly formed > > coalition. > > > > The details of how to meet those goals still must be worked out by the > > group, whose aim is to bring more affordable high-speed Internet access > to > > every consumer. > > > > Many of the group members have been at odds with each other on whether > the > > government should set limits on how much spectrum a company can hold, the > > use of unlicensed devices on fallow broadcast airwaves and net > > neutrality -- > > the notion that network operators should be prevented from blocking or > > slowing Internet traffic. The formation of the group is an effort to move > > beyond their differences. > > > > "The coalition is a positive in that it demonstrates we agree that we > have > > a > > broadband problem, which not everyone was willing to admit to two years > > ago," said Ben Scott, policy director at Free Press and a member of the > > group. "The key is whether we'll see this group produce policy solutions > > that will require difficult choices." > > > > At stake is the nation's ability to compete technologically and > > economically, the group said. The United States has dropped from the top > > 10 > > nations for broadband access, speeds and price in the last several years. > > The coalition is pushing for a federal plan that would provide access to > > high-speed Internet service, much as the government did with electricity, > > roads and phone service. > > > > Obama famously used the Internet for outreach during his campaign and > > received 370,000 donations online. He's proposed using blogs, social > > networking tools and community Web pages known as wikis to connect > > citizens > > to government agencies. And Obama has argued for massive upgrades to > > technology infrastructure such as high-speed, or broadband, Internet. > > > > So far the coalition's plans to increase broadband usage mirrors Obama's > > plan, but there could be disagreement over deployment, analysts said. > > > > Communications Workers of America President Larry Cohen said the union > > supports a proposal by Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) to increase > > definitions for broadband to 10 megabits per second for downloads by > 2010. > > The current definition for broadband speed in the United States is 768 > > kilobits per second downstream, which is far below standards in many > other > > nations. > > > > Achieving that goal at prices acceptable to consumers, however, would be > > expensive for telecom and cable network operators. Some in the coalition > > could push for laws that would achieve lower prices and higher speeds > > through more wireless and telecom competitors, but that could cause > > further > > disagreement among members, Scott said. > > > > Some have already suggested requesting funds from the federal economic > > stimulus plan for broadband deployment. Yesterday, an aide to House > > Speaker > > Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Pelosi was in favor of that idea. > > > > AT&T chief lobbyist Jim Cicconi said the company has moved closer to the > > view of public interest groups and Google that the Web should be open for > > all users without discrimination of technology and content on their > > network. > > But unlike Free Press and consumer groups, AT&T opposes new laws or rules > > on > > net neutrality, saying Federal Communications Commission rules are > > sufficient, and any violation should be handled on a case-by-case basis. > > > > "There will be significant outstanding debates that will be very tough > and > > there will still be daylight between the groups on many, many issues," > > said > > Rebecca Arbogast, an analyst at investment firm Stifel Nicolaus. "But > both > > sides are in a phase right now where they are emphasizing how much they > > share in terms of their views on what is an appropriate framework for > > looking at this issue." > > > > > > > > > > Jeff Broadwick > > Sales Manager, ImageStream > > 800-813-5123 x106 (US/Can) > > +1 574-935-8484 x106 (Int'l) > > +1 574-935-8488 (Fax) > > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > ---- > > WISPA Wants You! Join today! > > http://signup.wispa.org/ > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > ---- > > > > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > > > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > WISPA Wants You! Join today! > > http://signup.wispa.org/ > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > > > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > WISPA Wants You! Join today! > http://signup.wispa.org/ > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wants You! Join today! http://signup.wispa.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
