[1377] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
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daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Dave Hughes)
Thu Sep 19 09:36:21 1991
Date: Thu, 19 Sep 1991 00:18:11 -0600
From: Dave Hughes <daveh@csn.org>
To: com-priv@psi.com
Ok, I have been silently following this cloistered discussion for a long
time. Based on Abernathy's report on the progress of the High
Performance Computing Act Legislation - it is time for ALL of you to put
down your cursor and pick up the phone and call Senator Gore RIGHT NOW
and lobby him to accept the House version of the bill with its support
for K-12 education. The number is 202-224-4944. It is in conference
committee RIGHT NOW.
Below is the text of the message I sent him by telegram this night,
which leave you in no doubt where I stand on (1) the NREN and (2) who
it should serve.
--------------------------
Sept 18th, 1991
The Honorable Al Gore (Senator)
The Houston Press has reported that you are objecting, in conference
committee to the $1 million in the House version of the NREN Bill for
the support of K-12 telecommuncations.
I urge you to adopt the House version on this matter of K-12 and the
NREN.
Only the House version is far-sighted enough to recognize that
affordable access to national subsidized networks by students and
teachers, independent researchers and the self-study public below the
'higher educational' level is as much in the public interest as
high-powered computing access by higher education or corporate
or institutional researchers.
The legislation is already flawed in that it is virtually giving a
blank check, with no public accountability, by either regulatory bodies
or line-item purposes, to IBM and MCI in the thinly veiled form of ANS
to take over the backbone of the national data networks, and develop
high-speed networks, which they have full intention to use to serve the
needs of the Fortune 1000, and charge the midlevel networks whatever the
traffic will bear, and with no evidence of regard for any other public
purpose - least of all K-12 education in America. 'Privatization' of the
NREN will have the practical effect of cutting out all levels of this
society unable to pay 'market' rates for data access in the future.
Unless the K-12 level of public education is subsidized or
seed-moneyed for access to the national networks schools will never
give their students access to the future at ages when lifelong
attitudes toward technology, math, science, and work are being formed,
and when talent needs to reach for the stars. College is too late to
start.
I remind you that Bill Gates, President of one of the most successful,
large computer companies in America - Microsoft - got his start in
computing when the Mother's Club of his Seattle High School raised the
money which permitted him to log onto the GE network where he got access
to brains and knowledge his school could not provide him.
Surely Congress can do as much as the Mother's Club of Seattle.
David R Hughes
Colorado Springs, Colorado
719-636-2040
