On the plus side, it might mean that a whole bunch of ISPs won't be covered under CALEA. :-)
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 3:40 PM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] Article 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! 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