In the absence of Jim Baller’s plan, the US has no initiative to move past status quo. Many informed people have rung the alarm, but he’s the first to articulate the steps necessary to achieve results. Kudos to him. Any concerns expressed should be seen against the backdrop of his commitment. The timing (before the next election) is about right for getting the matter into the political domain.
Library
Rich Tehrani from TMCnet on “Eight Bold Steps”
“A few of my friends have ordered FiOS from Verizon and they seem happy to have broadband access at speeds once unavailable from phone companies. The sad thing is that even though broadband speeds are increasing in the US, the cost of the connections are higher than in many other parts of the world, and the speeds are still only a fraction of what others are experiencing in places like Asia.”
Ed Gubbins on “Eight Bold Steps”
“The Baller-Herbst law firm, a vocal broadband advocate best known as a supporter of municipal broadband, has published an eight-step plan to achieve a national broadband strategy.”
Eight Bold Steps to a National Broadband Strategy
Recent developments underscore the need for a national broadband strategy
Key Legal and Technical Requirements and Options Under CALEA
The Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (CALEA) requires providers of telecommunications services, Internet access, or certain kinds of Voice over Internet Protocol to acquire or build into their networks the technical capabilities necessary to enable them to assist law enforcement in conducting authorized interceptions of communications content or call-identifying information.
Benton Foundation
Benton Foundation’s letter to George Bush discussing universal broadband availability.
State Developments 2005-06
Battles Over State Barriers Proposed in 2005 and 2006
100 Mbps available nationwide in Singapore
Singapore will become the first country in the world to commercially launch 100Mbps residential broadband services nation-wide, as StarHub marks another milestone with its deployment of DOCSIS 3.0 technology.
Federal Developments 2005-2006
- Rep. Pete Sessions’ Proposed Federal Barrier (H.R.2726)
- Lautenberg-McCain “Community Broadband Act of 2005” (S.1294)
- Lautenberg-McCain Bill Status
- Senator Lautenberg floor statement
- Senator McCain floor statement
- Senators Lautenberg and McCain reiterate support for community broadband
in accepting FirstMile.US award - Response to USTA: Lautenberg-McCain is Constitutional
- Senator Ensign’s Bill: “The Broadband Investment and Consumer Choice Act” (S.1504)
- Senator Ensign’s 3-page summary
- Senator Ensign’s floor statement
- Jim Baller’s response to Senator Ensign’s municipal networks provision
- Lautenberg-McCain “Dear Colleague” letter (February 13, 2006)
- Senator DeMint’s Bill: “The Digital Age Communications Act of 2005” (S.2113)
- First Community Broadband Coalition Letter to 100 Senators, supporting Lautenberg-McCain
- Second Community Broadband Coalition letter to Senate Commerce Committee
supporting the Lautenberg-McCain bill (February 13, 2006) - FTTH Council statement to Senate Commerce Committee supporting
the Lautenberg-McCain bill (February 14, 2006) - Consumers Union/Consumers Federation of America letter to Senate Commerce
Committee supporting the Lautenberg-McCain bill (February 2006) - Texas communities letter to Senate Commerce Committee supporting the
Lautenberg-McCain bill (February 13, 2006) - Barton-Rush-Upton-Pickering bill, “The Communications Opportunity, Promotion,
and Enhancement Act of 2006,” HR.5252 - Status of Barton-Rush-Upton-Pickering bill (HR.5252)
- Stevens Bill: “The Advanced Telecommunications and Opportunites Reform Act”
or “The Communications Act of 2006” (8-4-06) (HR.5252RS) (Municipal Broadband begins at 184) - Senate Commerce Committee Report on HR 5252 (Municipal Broadband at 32-33)
FCC Form 445
FCC Form 445 is used to monitor the progress of telecommunications carriers that provide facilities-based broadband Internet access or interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) services in complying with the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) and the Commission’s requirements for such facilities and services.
FCC Notice: Covered Entities Must File Interim Compliance Report
FCC Notice: Covered Entities Must File System Security and Integrity Report
South Korea
Bristol Virginia Utilities fiber network is revitalizing SW Virginia
There was a time when Bristol, Va., and other mountain communities yearned for better roads — ribbons of asphalt that would link them with the world beyond. Today, an impressive network of highways crisscrosses this region in Southwest Virginia.
Now leaders of this city of 18,000 at the Tennessee state line have turned their attention to building a different kind of highway over which voice, data and video can travel at lightning speeds.They’re laying cables of hair-thin glass fibers — fiber optics. Their goal remains unchanged: to link with the outside world so that the region can stay in the game when it comes to economic development. Build it and they will come.
John McCain’s Perspective on Broadband
SAN JOSE, CA — U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Cisco President and CEO John Chambers shared a stage on Friday at the San Jose Convention Center at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group’s Annual Public Policy luncheon. Stephen Wright, editor of the San Jose Mercury News editorial page, questioned the pair about R&D, Immigration, What’s Going Right and more. No, not that Steven Wright.When asked by Wright what was the one thing that Congress could do to make the biggest impact to innovation the responses were thus: (I’m paraphrasing)McCain: Immigration reform. We need to get more H1-B workers in the US in order to have the educated workers available in the innovation creating jobs.Chambers: Broadband