Open access in the news

[Gene Hastings <hastings@info-ren.org>]

http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,38794,00.html
Veteran telecom legislator takes up "open access"
By John Borland and Courtney Macavinta, Staff Writers, CNET News.com
July 7, 1999, 4:00 a.m. PT

Q&A SAN FRANCISCO--When Rep. Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) talks about Net
policy, it's no surprise he speaks of sticking up for the underdog.

Since first winning election to the House in 1976, Markey has championed
consumer protection and competition in the electricity,
telecommunications, satellite, and cable industries. Like many Capitol
Hill mainstays, he's now focusing on the Net.

For starters, Markey, who helped draft the landmark Telecommunications
Act of 1996, is forging a campaign to open up the developing cable Net
access market. He wants entrenched cable companies to give budding Net
service providers access to their high-speed networks, which are
becoming the linchpin for next-generation online content delivery and
e-commerce. (See related story)

http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,38792,00.html
Broadband cable access issue reaching Congress
By John Borland Staff Writer, CNET News.com
July 6, 1999, 4:35 p.m. PT

A congressional measure aimed at prying open cable TV companies'
networks to outside Internet service providers will likely be introduced
next week, breaking new ground in a budding movement to expand
high-speed Net connections.

Sponsored by Rep. Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), an instrumental figure in
shaping the 1992 Cable and the 1996 Telecommunications acts, the measure
would require cable companies to give Internet service providers such as
America Online direct access to their cable networks. Today, most cable
Internet customers must use an ISP affiliated with the cable company,
such as the AT&T-controlled Excite@Home, while dial-up Net users can
choose any ISP.

The measure will be introduced next week, with a goal of signing up at
least 100 co-sponsors, the congressman said.