US/ND-2: Re: Universal Service Seminar

Re: Universal Service Seminar

Bob Carlitz (bob@info-ren.pitt.edu)
Tue, 3 Sep 1996 12:16:17 -0400 (EDT) 

On 3 Sep 1996, Sylvia Nespoli wrote:

>   REGARDING           Universal Service Seminar
> 
>      I have a concern that the "wireline" and "wireless" companies will not
> have the same opportunity to bid. I am concerned that the incumbent
> telecommunications companies and providers will be given the first priorities
> to Universal Service funding.
>      Another portion of the library had a very strong position that "reported
> costs" be used to calculate support and not proxy models. It is of importance
> just how much the Lobbyists are involved in this procedure and are the Board
> members representative of the American population? Are the interests of the
> smaller populated areas of the country being well represented?
> 
> Sylvia Nespoli

Sylvia has asked previously about the composition of the
Federal-State Joint Board.  You can find a list of the Board's
members at the end of the Notice of Proposed Rule Making.  It
includes representatives of a number of state public utility
commissions and a few people representing consumer interests.
I see nobody from education on the list, although some of the
PUC or consumer representatives might have an education background.

With regard to the role of lobbyists in these proceedings, I think it's
fair to say that proceedings of this sort have traditionally been
almost entirely in the hands of "lobbyists," whether in the form of
staff hired by industry groups affected by the legislation or staff
hired by Washington-based public interest groups.  Here I'm using
the term "lobbyist" to describe someone whose primary job is to
work on legislative issues of this sort.

The whole idea of "Network Democracy" is to broaden the base of
participation in government rule making processes.  Fortunately,
the Internet gives us a mechanism to publish materials submitted
to government agencies, to educate interested people in the issues
before these agenices and to gather public responses on these
issues.  This is just what we are trying to do in the present
seminar.  It's very important that the many educators and librarians
who have registered for the seminar should speak up on a regular
basis.  This isn't a place to sit back and listen to the "experts."
Rather it's a place a make known your concerns and to form
recommendations based upon your considerable experience in the
practical application of telecommunications technology.  By doing
so you'll be filling an important gap in the past practice of
agencies such as the FCC which have had a hard time in gathering
information directly from the people affected by their policies.
If we can state our opinions concisely and clearly, I think they
will be listened to.

Bob Carlitz
Moderator