[GB-Today] Preview Copy of First Mile

[CENIC Editor]

First Mile
March 3, 2004

First Mile is a publication of CENIC’s One Gigabit or Bust Initiative.

By the next issue, we will be transitioning this newsletter to its own 
list. You need to subscribe directly to continue receiving it.

Take a minute right now to subscribe at: 
http://lists.cenic.org/mailman/listinfo/firstmile

And, forward this message to your colleagues!

******************
IN THIS ISSUE
******************
QUOTE OF THE MONTH

FIRST MILE NEWS

QUALITY OF LIFE
1. Picture Phones Early Diagnosis: Not Good Medicine

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
2. VoIP Drives Broadband Development in United Kingdom

POLICY
3. Public and Industry Continue to Clash over Copyright Protection

TECHNOLOGY
4. American Public Power Association Explains Broadband Deployment
5. Bill Gates’ Vision of the Future Calls for Wireless Bandwidth

IMPLEMENTATION
6. Broadband over Power Lines Coming to Colorado

ABOUT FIRST MILE

ABOUT CENIC’S GIGABIT OR BUST INITIATIVE

ABOUT CENIC

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

******************************
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
******************************

The next generation of Internet applications has arrived, and the sad fact 
is that America by and large isn't up to speed, let alone in any position 
to lead again.
--“Broadband Fiasco”
Wall Street Journal, February 11, 2004

***********************
QUALITY OF LIFE
***********************

1. PICTURE PHONES EARLY DIAGNOSIS: NOT GOOD MEDICINE
The healthcare industry and the public want to simplify healthcare, but 
governments say some new devices aren’t appropriate. In Britain, Medical 
Defense Union has issued a warning to physicians concerning the use of 
photo-capable cell phones in diagnosing patients.

Learn why the group wants to stave off potential privacy and 
confidentiality issues:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3517039.stm

**********************************
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
**********************************
2. VoIP Drives Broadband Development in United Kingdom
Researchers at Brunel University Research Centre claim that VoIP will have 
a massive influence on broadband markets in the next few years, encouraging 
UK telcos to offer much faster service. Could VoIP have the same influence 
in the United States?

Read why VoIP is driving broadband in the UK and Japan:
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/broadband/0,39020342,39147280,00.htm

**********
POLICY
**********
3. PUBLIC AND INDUSTRY CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE OVER COPYRIGHT PROTECTION
The Committee for Economic Development is trying to help resolve copyright 
protection debates. The organization released the report, "Promoting 
Innovation and Economic Growth: The Special Problem of Digital Intellectual 
Property." The report examines the economic impact of copyright protection 
in the digital age and the potential economic effects of proposals for change.

Read the entire report at:
http://www.ced.org/docs/report/report_dcc.pdf

********************
TECHNOLOGY
********************
4. AMERICAN PUBLIC POWER ASSOCIATION EXPLAINS BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT
APPA separates the facts from the fiction about broadband deployment. This 
paper examines eight assumptions: Utilities Have Unfair Access to Tax 
Exempt Bonds; Public Power Utilities Don’t Pay Taxes; Public Power 
Utilities are Gambling with your Taxes; Municipalities are Both the 
Regulator and the Competitor; Government Provisioning of Services is 
Outdated; Private Provisioning of Services is More Efficient; Broadband 
Networks are too Complex a Business for Public Power Utilities; and CATV 
Content is Difficult to Attain.

Download the white paper at:
http://www.appanet.org/legislativeregulatory/broadband/fact/fact.cfm

5. BILL GATES’ VISION OF THE FUTURE CALLS FOR WIRELESS BROADBAND
With a nod of acknowledgement to improvements in storage technology, 
Microsoft is developing a Portable Media Center. The product will boast 40 
Gigabits of storage space for movies, video files, and photos­all in a 
handheld device.

Read more of Gates’ speech to MIT students:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,4149,1540089,00.asp?kc=EWNWS022704DTX1K0000599

***********************
IMPLEMENTATION
***********************
6. BROADBAND OVER POWER LINES COMING TO COLORADO
Discussions within utility companies about broadband are heating up. San 
Isabel Electric Association, United Power, and other smaller utilities are 
showing signs of interest. Larger companies such as Xcel are steering clear 
of the telecommunications business.

Read the different viewpoints:
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~33~1972967,00.html

ABOUT FIRST MILE
First Mile is a twice-monthly publication targeting the interests of 
research, education, commerce, state and local government and the general 
public in addressing the issues surrounding the implementation of robust 
end-to-end broadband capabilities to every education institution, business 
and home in California.

ABOUT CENIC's GIGABIT OR BUST INITIATIVE
CENIC's Gigabit or Bust Roundtable addresses critical technical, policy, 
economic and implementation challenges facing the delivery of one gigabit 
broadband to all Californians by 2010. The Gigabit or Bust Roundtable 
brings together the interests of research, education, commerce, state and 
local government and the general public to address the issues surrounding 
implementation of robust end-to-end broadband capabilities to every 
educational institution, business and home in California.

ABOUT CENIC
CENIC is a not-for-profit corporation serving the California Institute of 
Technology, California State University, Stanford University, University of 
California, University of Southern California, California Community 
Colleges and the statewide K-12 school system. CENIC’s mission is to 
facilitate and coordinate the development, deployment and operation of a 
set of robust multi-tiered advanced network services for this research and 
education community.

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
You can subscribe and unsubscribe to First Mile by visiting:

http://lists.cenic.org/mailman/listinfo/firstmile