[1794] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Perhaps the NREN is Already Privatized?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Gordon Cook)
Fri Dec 27 02:56:52 1991
To: com-priv@psi.com
Date: 27 Dec 91 00:50:20 EST (Fri)
From: cook@tmn.com (Gordon Cook)
<<MESSAGE from>> Gordon Cook 27-DEC-91 0:50
cook@tmn
I've just been reading the language of the bill that passed. It can
explain some of what we see happening. When the NSF announced the
backbone rebid, I believed - mistakenly it now appears - that it that a
decision had been made not to rush further ahead with privatization of the
network.
Earlier versions of the bill had language to the effect that as soon as
the private sector was capable of delivering the network services needed
by the academic and research community, the network should be privatized.
The time frame suggested was alsways around 1995 or 1996. This language
as far as I can tell is not in the final version of the legislation.
Instead we read that: (Cong Record page S 17730, 11/22/91)
Section 102 The NREN
"(a) Establishment - As part of the program the National Science
Foundation, the [4 other agencies are listed] and other agencies
participating in the program shall support the establishment of the
National Research and Education Network..." If the government were doing
it, I would assume that the text would read "shall establish", not "shall
support the establishment".
"(b) Access - Federal agencies and departments shall work with private
network service providers.....in order to ensure that researchers,
educators and students have access as appropriate to the network." If the
government were doing it, as all earlier versions of the legislation that
I saw stated would be the case, I'd assume that the language would imply
that the Federal Agenicies and Departments would be setting the rules on
access for spending federal money and telling the providers what they were.
(g) (1) states that within one year after the enactment of this act the
Director of OSTP shall report to the Congress on "effective mechanisms for
providing operating funds for maintainance and use of the network,
INCLUDING USER FEES, industry support and continued Federal investment."
Some questions occur - is the network effectively privatized NOW? If not,
why not? If the network *IS* effectively privatized now where does this
mean the locus of the decision making power resides? Does the government
as a customer just sit back and pay the bills? Does anyone under these
conditions have an explicit responsibility to speak up on behalf of less
wealthy users of the network? Who is the decision maker from this point
on?
