Opening ATT/TCI to ISPs (fwd)

[Barb Weismann]

SCNers and Board:
Can we please send someone to work on this study/panel?  Board: can you
please get someone nominated and then we can say we SCNers want this
representation?  Gianni, use some of your numbers to impress that we need
to be at that table?  I am simply too ignorant to do it.  It would be
atrocious if we did not have representation.  And Maggi is the best person
to approach---how mahy other council members replied to YOUR e mails?

Barb


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 09:47:18 -0800
From: "Fimia, Maggi" <Maggi.Fimia at METROKC.GOV>
To: 'Barb Weismann' <bb140 at scn.org>
Subject: RE: Opening ATT/TCI to ISPs

Dear Constituent:

I appreciate the time you've taken to write to me to communicate your
position regarding the TCI/AT&T merger.  

As you've probably already read in the newspaper, the County Council and
TCI/AT&T have negotiated a mutually acceptable agreement that enabled the
County to approve the merger. The Striking Amendment to Proposed Substitute
Ordinance 1999-0020 provides for the formation of an Expert Review Panel.
This Panel, which will be composed of industry experts appointed by the
Council, will conduct a study of open access issues and then submit a report
with findings to the council by October 8, 1999. The study and report are to
be paid for by TCI/AT&T.

The report will address any anti-competitive implications of rolling out
bundled high speed cable modem Internet services including legal, technical
and economic considerations.  Subsequent to the study, the Council may
impose additional or different conditions regarding non-discriminatory
access prior to March 1, 2000.  This approach not only allows the merger to
proceed, ensuring the upgrade of the cable television system in King County
and the implementation of the franchisee's local telephone service, but also
preserves the County's authority to require non-discriminatory open
access--conditioned on the study's findings. 

If you are interested in reading the complete text of the approved
ordinance, it can be found on the County's web site:  www.metrokc.gov

Sincerely,
Maggi Fimia
Councilmember, District 1
  



-----Original Message-----
From: Barb Weismann [mailto:bb140 at scn.org]
Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 1999 8:05 PM
To: Derdowski, Brian; Vance, Chris; Sullivan, Cynthia; Pelz, Dwight;
Nickels, Greg; Hague, Jane; Pullen, Kent; Gossett, Larry; Phillips,
Larry; Miller, Louise; Fimia, Maggi; pet.vonreichbauer at metrokc.gov;
McKenna, Rob
Cc: jan.drago at seattle.ci.wa.us; Lorraine Pozzi;
margaret.pageler at seattle.ci.wa.us; martha.choe at seattle.ci.wa.us;
nick.licata at seattle.ci.wa.us; peter.steinbrueck at seattle.ci.wa.us;
richard.conlin at seattle.ci.wa.us; richard.mciver at seattle.ci.wa.us;
sue.donaldson at seattle.ci.wa.us; tina.podlodowski at seattle.ci.wa.us
Subject: Opening ATT/TCI to ISPs



Dear city and county council:

I support making open access for Internet Service Providers a condition of
the ATT/TCI merger. 

I understand that you are holding back in decision-making because you have
not heard from customers.

I volunteer with Seattle Community Network and work for open access to
information, especially government info.  That also means cheap or free
means by which to obtain that info.  It seems to me that it's important
for the future of free access to information to allow significant
competition in the band width on calbe.

   Full and effective facilities-based loop-to-loop competition in the
   broadband context would free ISPs and the public they serve from their
   current exclusive reliance on voice-oriented telephone company
   facilities and stimulate the development of data-friendly networks.
   
I recently read that voice/telephone systems in Europe are charging high
prices and thus people are going to their governments to allow unmetered
voice connections to the Internet.  We have that...We here in Seattle/King
co. are a step ahead in keeping competitive in this world info
market...you had better help us stay that way through making video lines
open access. 

Barb Weismann
98105

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