[8884] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: NTIA Universal Access Hearing
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Richard Civille)
Thu Dec 9 14:44:00 1993
Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1993 14:18:43 -0500 (EST)
From: Richard Civille <rciville@civicnet.org>
Reply-To: Richard Civille <rciville@civicnet.org>
To: "Brock N. Meeks" <brock@well.sf.ca.us>
Cc: dave@oldcolo.com, com-priv@psi.com, compriv@civicnet.org
In-Reply-To: <199312090200.SAA15104@well.sf.ca.us>
On Wed, 8 Dec 1993, Brock N. Meeks wrote:
> Richard Civille is flat wrong if he thinks the NTIA is going to give
> universal service short shrift. This issue *is* important to them, it
> *will* be given full attention.
Brock: I know universal service is important to NTIA, please don't
misconstrue my QUOTED remarks. These hearings are good first step and I
do know that combined efforts of non-profits and public interest groups
last summer were instrumental in getting NTIA to do them. There's always
more to this stuff than meets the eye. I don't mean to appear cynical,
but as the Russians used to say, and as Reagan loved to quote: "Trust,
but verify."
We are dealing with a culture here (NTIA, FCC, Markey's committee) that 1)
has little understanding of the Internet or what an information
infrastructure really means and 2) An Administration committed to
broadening public access to government information -- in part over the
Internet. Yes, there is a disconnect there and it is (sur)real when the
Administration seems to get it but some of the guys who get the marching
orders don't quite. We can work with this, but we are going to watch this
universal service process like a HAWK.
I hope that these universal service hearings will start to get us beyond
Plain Old Telephone Service, the limited cable/telco conception of
"Universal Access" to essential information people need to survive,
compete and to engage in full citizenship -- and I hear Dave Hughes --
multilingual, diverse as hell. I think Larry Irving is correct to say the
debate will be over software and content -- and that is where the
Universal Service debate needs to lead -- far beyond "affordable access".
But until Irving can demonstrate an understanding of the Internet and its
implications for what the NII could be, I'm afraid we may not get far.
> First of all, there's no way NTIA, after only holding 4 hearings, is going
> to claim any of their findings are "exhaustive." Mostly, these meetings
> are a show of good-will. Four hearings won't accomplish much, how could
> they? What they will do is get the Washington bureaucrats out into
> the public. This is something I've been told they want as much as need (and
> this by people inside NTIA).
I understand. They don't even know where to have the meetings yet. And,
I think you are right: these meetings are "a show of good will." Again,
I remember when these hearings were proposed last summer by a coalition of
public interest groups. I hope these meetings are more than merely a show.
> Just how much clout NTIA carries these days is anybody's guess. Right now,
> word I'm hearing is "not much." They have some very good people, but their
> policy-writing, formation "get it out the door" skill are lacking.
They do have some terrific people. I'm continually impressed at their level
of interest to hear from everyone, and the strength of the staff
commitment to develop policies that will make the NII available to
everyone. One career staffer told me how utterly different the climate
and atmosphere in NTIA is becoming after the past 12 years, where internal
initiatives to actually stir up some positive change now receive a full
hearing, rather than being summarily dismissed from upstairs. Still, you
are right, there is a general concensus emerging, regardless of where
folks stand that NTIA has really BASIC work to do to ramp themselves up
into a high-powered, innovative and effective policy shop. I understand
that part of the problem is the reauthorization bill dragging
along that is holding up the release of appropriated funds, some of which
I believe were intended to beef up the agency's staff and resource
capacity to deal with all this.
> Still, if the NTIA folks do listen close during these hearings, they'll be
> able to add some valuable insight to the Clinton Administration's view
> of what Universal Service should look like going into the next century.
> Because, frankly, right now, the Administration, despite all the hype about
> how technologically-hip they are, don't have a clue about how to guide this
> public policy concept into the next century.
Well, that's right of course. I think the Administration has a pretty
good general vision at the top levels. Moving down a bit I heard Irving
say in talks that he doesn't have a clue. I can hear this for awhile, I
can sympathize. We will now have an opportunity to learn whether these
folks are able to listen effectively and whether they have a well-designed
policy PROCESS in place that will gather input and put it to USE. They
could use a little Total Quality Management thinking I imagine.
> But they have lots of company... nobody has a good model, which is why
> we're all scrambling to find one.
It's quite an opportunity for state and local government and citizen-based
constituencies to figure out, in explict terms, what kind of positive
outcomes they would like to see NII policies head towards.
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Center for Civic Networking Richard Civille
P.O. Box 65272 Washington Director
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