Accessible from virtually anywhere, creatable by virtually anyone, and able to provide virtually any kind of digital, infinitely copy-able content, Internet websites present a myriad of legal issues for all website owners to consider. Websites operated by a government entity — with which we are concerned here — implicate additional, important constitutional and statutory obligations that are not applicable to private entities. As a means for providing government information, communicating more directly with citizens, and for providing efficient government services, such websites obviously hold great promise. However, government entities that do so should be aware that this new tool for citizen interaction carries with it the potential for legal entanglement on several fronts.
Library
NATOA National Conference handouts – Denver, CO, Sept. 10, 2003
A primer on bankruptcy law
Over the last year, Jim Baller, Sean Stokes and Casey Lide of the Baller Herbst Law Group, P.C., have represented the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors and dozens of municipalities, counties, public power utilities and rural cooperatives in the Adelphia bankruptcy, working with New York bankruptcy counsel Ronald Cohen of Seward & Kissel. The following is an overview of bankruptcy law and practice, with emphasis on the rights of local governments and consumer-owned electric utilities. It is offered merely for general informational purposes is not intended as legal advice.
Municipal Broadband Conference – Baltimore, MD, July 11, 2003
Municipal Broadband Conference – Baltimore, MD, July 10, 2003
South Dundas Economic Impact Study
The Township of South Dundas invested $750,000 CAD in 2000 to build a fibre optic network. The goal of this investment was to provide broadband connectivity to South Dundas and promote local economic development. To conduct an economic impact study of the South Dundas fibre network, SNG collected data from the network subscribers, identified the direct effects to those organizations, and assessed those impacts on the local economy
APPA National Conference – Nashville, TN, June 14, 2003
Jim Baller interviews in Broadband Reports
NECA-NARUC Broadband Summit – Crystal City, VA, April 28, 2003
VATOA Workshop – Williamsburg, VA, April 10, 2003
NATOA Regional Workshop Nashville – March 7, 2003
Testimony to NYC City Council – December 10, 2002
Broadband: The Next Utility
by John W. McCurry, Site Selection magazine
Broadband Internet access is rapidly being perceived by governments and business as an essential utility which will soon be as important as water or electricity to economic development. Cities or regions that embrace this concept and make this new utility widely available are variously described as being “intelligent, smart or wired.”
Universal Service for a Globally Competitive America
It is the premise of this paper that the United States should adopt broadband as the universal service standard for its national information infrastructure—the nation’s system of telecommunications. Derived from Section 254 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which embraces an evolving standard of Universal Service, Universal Broadband Access constitutes a new generation of Universal Service policy beyond that construed in the 20th century as plain old telephone service (POTS).
National Broadband Strategy Act of 2002
To require a report to Congress on a national strategy for the deployment of high speed broadband Internet telecommunications services, and for other purposes.