IP: I lied when I said it was the last word re - tempest in a teapot -- a note from the author I streonglyy endorse

[Dave Farber <farber@cis.upenn.edu>]

>
>Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2000 07:22:19 -0700
>To: farber@cis.upenn.edu
>From: Mark Laubach <laubach@inconvenient.net>
>Subject: re: tempest in a teapot
>
>Dave,
>
>I read with some disappointment the finality of the statement
>"technologically infeasible".  The real message I was delivering
>should also have the words "at this time" appended to that statement.
>Yes, the short term look ahead is that the soon to be off-the-shelf
>cable technology does not support ideal open access. However, with
>some planning we could move towards a technology platform in all
>broadband systems that does support open access.   In the mean time,
>we may be able to bridge the gap (this is not a well needed gap...<g>)
>with less than ideal open access solutions.
>
>What became clear to me in the preparation for the paper was the
>inconsistency of any shared definition of "open access".  Therefore,
>I developed my own ideal open access model in the paper and focused my
>discussion and conclusions based on that model.  I had hopes that it
>would be recognized that this country needs a shared consistent
>definition, so I prodded the point as best I could.  Everyone
>really has their own definition in their minds, we really need to
>avoid that.  There should be one shared mindset definition of open
>access. The caveat is that definition to technical delivery, it will
>take some years to get there.
>
>We are very quickly approaching an age in the world, let alone this country,
>where we will have four different forms of broadband access "last mile"
>technologies making themselves available to the home: concentric pair,
>twisted pair, wireless, and fiber optical.  I personally would like to
>avoid, where possible, having a separate broadband interconnect attached
>to my home just to access an additional services or change services or
>provider. The time is now to start laying that groundwork.
>
>Yours truly,
>Mark
>
>
>