[9787] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Open Letter: LA Data Highways
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Larry Walker)
Fri Jan 21 11:54:26 1994
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 94 10:52:45 CST
To: mkapor@eff.org
From: walkerl@med.ge.com (Larry Walker)
Cc: com-priv@psi.com
Dear Mitch:
I am sending this email to you, and copying it to the com-priv mailing
list, as I have been very surprised during this post-earthquake week that
no one else is suggesting this idea.
As I watched the first news out of LA documenting the serious damage to the
freeway network, it seemed a natural opportunity for Al Gore to go on
national TV and declare that LA must begin using Data Highways instead of
Freeways in order to get through the impending year-long transit crisis.
All businesses and and government agencies can be requested to convert all
possible workers to telecommuters effectively immediately.
Much like the half-joking, half-serious suggestions during the Vietnam war
that we simply "declare victory and go home," the Administration can simply
declare the LA Data Highway program to be in effect: All employees contact
their sys admins and ask what software/modems/phone-numbers they should
start using.
As best I've been able to observe from a couple thousand miles away, the
Data Highway came through the quake in better shape than any other part of
the LA infrastructure: I was reading near-realtime reports on Usenet from
JPL commenting on the ongoing aftershocks as each occurred, and continuing
to confirm that Pasedena had not yet lost power. I'm seeing anecdotal
reports in the popular press that people were having no problem checking on
their friends and relatives via email, while those trying to utilize the
public phone network found that their calls were blocked from entering the
LA region. Perhaps FEMA should launch an ad campaign urging that all
families establish a default, emergency email contact with their distant
members now, in advance of the next major earthquake, flood, blizzard,
hurricane. Even a 10-20% reduction in load on the phone network in a crisis
situation is of major value, and can free up significant resources in the
relief agencies.
It seems a shame to let this opportunity pass untapped, not just for its
promotional value, but for tangible benefits of relieving a quick 10-20% of
the pressure from the jury-rigged freeway system. Surely reducing the
predicted 6-hour commutes to a "mere" 5 hours would be a major boon to the
remaining hundreds of thousands still forced to make the drive. With an
estimated 20-25% of US homes containing PCs of some type, a corporate
program of overnight-expressing modems and software to distant employees
could lop the peak off transit congestion by the time the freeways even
reopen.
I'm hoping that in your role as a member of the NII Advisory Council and as
a leading spokesman for the whole NII concept, you might find this idea
attractive enough to press it on the Administration ASAP. By copying it to
the com-priv mailing list, I'm hoping to stimulate some discussion on ways
employers can quickly ramp up their telecommuting infrastucture in a matter
of days.
Any takers on either front?
Larry Walker
System Architect email: walkerl@med.ge.com
GE Medical Systems phone: 414.785.8262
P.O. Box 414 / NB-902 fax: 414.785.4331
Milwaukee, WI 53201 dialcomm: 8*322-8262
