Opening ATT/TCI to ISPs (fwd)

[Joel Ware IV]

Barb,
Good letter to the Council members -- THANKS for writing it.

I have been working actively for SCN with the Open Access Coalition to
move this issue in the right direction -- I think we've done OK so far.
The resolution passed by the SCNA Board was a very powerful statement in
favor of the principle of open and non-discriminatory access.

I testified for SCN at the City hearing, and Aki Namioka spoke for
Seattle CTTAB and SCN.  I am very impressed with the County's leadership
on this topic -- as you can see by the lopsided votes, support for open
access is strong on the Council, and in Ron Sims' office.

But as you note, much work remains to be done.  The Open Access
Coalition will continue to work with WAISP (SCN is a member), SCN, and
a number of other ISPs to secure full open and non-discriminatory access
for all.   SCNs voice will continue to be heard there, on the City
Council, on CTTAB, and on the County Council.


-Joel.

  
----------



On Wed, 17 Feb 1999, Barb Weismann wrote:

> Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 20:36:42 -0800 (PST)
> From: Barb Weismann <bb140 at scn.org>
> To: scn at scn.org, services at scn.org
> Subject: RE: Opening ATT/TCI to ISPs (fwd)
> 
> 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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Joel Ware, IV  Governance Committee   jw4 at scn.org


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