[Where's John McCain when you need him? --DBM] http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB993418457489449631.htm # # Tech Industry Seeks Its Salvation June 25, 2001 # In High-Speed Internet Connections # # By SCOTT THURM and GLENN R. SIMPSON # Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL # # High-tech executives think they've found a cure for the industry's # deepest slump in a decade: High-speed Internet access for # everyone. # # For years, telephone and cable-TV companies have been promising # to build high-speed "broadband" networks, which let consumers # and small businesses tap the Internet 20 or 30 times faster than # conventional phone lines, yet the rollout has been slow. There's # little agreement, even within the tech world, on the ground rules # for building such networks, which would cost tens of billions # of dollars. But suddenly the topic has rocketed to the top of # the technology industry's agenda in Washington, where # traditionally distant tech executives are asking for help. # # The chairmen of International Business Machines Corp., Intel # Corp., Motorola Inc. and others last week met with key lawmakers # and National Economic Council officials to support bills that # would provide tax credits for building high-speed networks in # rural areas and economically depressed inner cities. Other # executives propose broader tax breaks, comparing broadband # Internet links with the government-financed interstate highway # or rural electric systems. # # Likening the task to the 1960s effort to put a man on the moon, # John Chambers, chief executive of Cisco Systems Inc., is asking # that the federal government commit to making broadband connections # available to every home by 2010. A Cisco lobbyist calls the effort # "our No. 1 goal" (although a spokesman says Mr. Chambers doesn't # think the government would be the one to build the network). # # Some tech executives argue that extending broadband networks # would help revive the national economy, because tech spending # contributed such a large share of economic growth in recent years. [...] ********** From: David Honig <honigat_private> Subject: Re: Pleading to Washington for broadband Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2001 06:46:57 -0700 At 03:00 AM 6/26/01 -0400, Georgeat_private wrote: >Excerpt: > ># Likening the task to the 1960s effort to put a man on the moon, ># John Chambers, chief executive of Cisco Systems Inc., is asking ># that the federal government commit to making broadband connections ># available to every home by 2010. > And in related news, Janet Panopticon, CEO of a webcam manufacturer, suggested that the federal government commit to providing free internet enabled digital cameras sufficient for each room of a residence... ********** ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. To subscribe, visit http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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