 | |
| |
TechnologyDaily Mobile
Virginia Officials Hear Telecom Advice
by Maureen Sirhal
Regulations that force the regional Bell telephone firms to provide access to their local networks is discouraging investment in the telecommunications industry, Larry Darby, a Progress and Freedom Foundation senior fellow, told a Virginia regulatory commission and the Virginia Telecommunications Industry Association last week.
Under rules currently being re-evaluated by the FCC, Darby said the Bells' competitors can gain access to the so-called unbundled network elements (UNEs) of Bell facilities for a fraction of the cost that it takes the Bells to build and maintain the facilities. Although the rules were designed to spur competition, he argued that their implementation has been shortsighted.
The Virginia State Corporation Commission (VSCC) is considering whether to lower the rates competitors pay to access the Bell networks. Firms such as AT&T are pushing for lower rates to ease their own entry into local markets. Relying on economic principles and data provided by banking and finance experts, Darby said UNE rates initially might encourage new firms to enter local telecom markets but argued that they ultimately discourage investment and sustainable competition.
"If the Bell companies don't make money by selling those UNEs ... they're not going to invest in it," Darby said at a conference hosted by the VSCC. "Consumers lose because they don't get new services, they don't get investment in broadband ... and generally there is not the kind of competition that we think about being beneficial competition."
Budget Shortfall Impacts Delaware Tech Projects
Several technology projects within Delaware State University received sharp budget cuts, Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner announced Oct. 18.
Nearly $6 million in cuts for the current fiscal year are coming from state agencies and the state's colleges and universities. The University of Delaware will lose $3.1 million in funding, while Delaware Technical and Community College and Delaware State University will receive $1.6 million and $877,000 in cuts respectively.
"We have worked very hard to find $16 million in savings in the last month, but there is still much work to do clearly and there are still some tough, and perhaps painful, decisions ahead," Minner said.
Delaware State University plans to delay the purchase of computer software and library books, while the University of Delaware is slashing spending in its Information Technology Partnership and two high-tech initiatives: the Application of Advanced Materials to Civil Infrastructure and Advanced Electronics and Materials.
"There are still significant cuts to be made in the Cabinet agencies, and I will continue to announce those cuts as I decide them over the coming weeks," Minner said.
A New Michigan Home For Internet2
Developers of the next-generation Internet known as Internet2 have found a new home in Ann Arbor, Mich. Gov. John Engler, representatives of Internet2 and the state's economic development organization unveiled plans for a new, 100,000 square-foot Michigan Information Technology Center.
Internet2 is a consortium of academics, public-sector organizations and industry firms that are deploying the next-generation, high-speed Internet. The center "will continue Michigan's leadership in information technology development, which will make that access even more important and valuable for users," Engler said.
Completion is set to occur by the end of 2003. The center will house the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID), the nonprofit organization supporting Internet2, and Merit Network, a provider of advanced Internet services for research and education.
"The support of the governor and the [Michigan Economic Development Corporation] ... demonstrates a strong commitment to advance the state's information technology environment," said Douglas Van Houweling, president and CEO of UCAID. "Internet2 shares the governor's belief that technology is a critical ingredient in economic strength."
In other Michigan tech news, two local telecom providers are battling with Texas-based EDS for one of the largest state technology contracts in the nation. SBC Ameritech Michigan and Verizon Communications, along with EDS, are competing for a multimillion-dollar contract that would consolidate the data and telecom needs of state agencies.
Crain's Technology reports that the contract is estimated to be worth $30 million to $100 million annually. It is another aspect of LinkMichigan, an initiative spearheaded by Engler and designed to bolster high-speed Internet services within the state. Contract winners could be responsible for building and maintaining a statewide broadband backbone.
Utah CIO Catches Heat For Hirings
Utah's chief information officer (CIO) is facing a few tough questions from state lawmakers. The Deseret News reports that members of Utah's Joint Executive Appropriations Committee quizzed Phil Windley last week about the hiring of former ExciteAtHome employees.
A probe conducted by the Legislative Auditor General's Office found that the hiring of the nine employees led to manipulation of the state's IT bidding processes. Windley, who also was employed by Excite, said he was unaware of any conflict with hiring rules.
New Jersey Privacy Panelists Appointed
New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey on Tuesday named nine new members to the state's privacy commission, which is tasked with studying the privacy concerns associated with dissemination of information by public agencies.
The commission is composed of officials from the public and private sectors, including representatives of law enforcement, state and local governments, the media, privacy rights advocates and retired judges.
The appointees are: privacy attorney Grayson Barber; George Cevasco, the municipal clerk of Brick, N.J.; New Jersey Education Association President Edithe Fulton; former Superior Court Judge Rosemary Karcher-Reavey; former journalist and current Rowan University professor M. Larry Litwin; Pamela McCauley, a coordinator in the Essex County Prosecutor's Office; Newark police detective Jack McEntee; Karen Lynn Sutcliffe an attorney with Scarinci and Hollenbeck; and consultant and former prosecutor H. Lawrence Wilson.
Arizona Joins Online Effort To Nab Fugitives
Arizona has launched a new Web site to aid in efforts to nab fugitives. State Attorney General Janet Napolitano said the office plans to post the identities of individuals who are believed to have fled the country in an effort to bring them back for trial.
The site is part of the International Fugitive Apprehension Program, which also is being used successfully in Texas and is being considered in other border states as a way to publicize the information about suspects who may be hiding in Mexico.
NEW FEATURE
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
