IP: NY IPers -- PUBLIC MEETING: Fixing New York's DSL Problems, Monday, Feb. 5, 2001

[Dave Farber <dave@farber.net>]

 >
 >For those of you in New York...
 >====================================================================================
 >
 >Silicon Alley Station and New Networks Institute presents:
 >
 >
 >Infrastructure Held Hostage: Fixing New York's DSL Problems and How You
 >Can Help.
 >
 >
 >A critical public discussion marking the 5th anniversary of the
 >Telecommunications Act
 >
 >DATE: Monday February 5th, 2001
 >TIME:  6:30 - 8:30 PM
 >
 >LOCATION:
 >The Canadian Consulate General
 >1251 Avenue of the Americas, NYC
 >Concourse Level (between West 49th & 50th St)
 >
 >ADMISSION: FREE, RSVP requested rsvp@newnetworks.com
 >
 >
 >Have you or has your business been unfairly harmed in the process of
 >getting DSL? Join us on Monday, February 5th and become part of the solution.
 >
 >
 >The anecdotal evidence is overwhelming - broadband delivery has lagged
 >well behind the tremendous demand. The Telecom Act was signed on February
 >8th, 1996 -- yet 5 years later getting a high-speed Internet connection
 >can still be a painfully slow process. The physical phone networks have
 >not been sufficiently opened up as mandated by the '96 Telecom Act, often
 >making DSL installation such a tortuous process that nearly half of all
 >DSL orders fail.
 >
 >So, whose infrastructure is it anyway?
 >
 >There is general agreement that Verizon/Bell Atlantic, the local phone
 >monopoly that controls the infrastructure, (one of the original Baby
 >Bells) has been less than cooperative in providing competitive DSL
 >providers (Covad, Northpoint, Rhythms and others) and Internet Service
 >Providers (ISPs) timely, accurate, and complete access to these
 >facilities. Despite Federal fines and private litigation by DSL providers,
 >Verizon/Bell Atlantic has frequently missed install appointments,
 >erroneously disqualified locations and inadvertently disabled working 
circuits.
 >
 >
 >The overall competitive environment for DSL has been severely wounded in
 >the process, and the choices available to businesses and consumers have
 >narrowed.
 >
 >This has had a serious negative impact to New York City's economic growth.
 > From the collective damage done to those businesses that need broadband
 >Internet connectivity in order to compete, to the entire health of Silicon
 >Alley and New York's competitive technological development, solutions need
 >to be implemented immediately.
 >
 >The evening's agenda includes:
 >1. Identify the biggest hurdles in getting  DSL
 >2. Discuss the flawed deregulatory enforcement between the FCC and Public
 >Service Commission
 >3. Understand the economic harm of these problems
 >4. Present The Broadband Bill of Rights
 >5. Propose a complaint resolution process with appropriate agencies
 >
 >Join consumer advocates, DSL experts, competitive DSL companies, public
 >officials, and other concerned DSL customers to create a framework to
 >ensure our digital future is not delayed, denied or degraded.
 >
 >A PARTIAL LIST OF SPEAKERS
 >Moderator: Bob Ponce, Silicon Alley Station
 >Nick Braak, DSLReports.com
 >Bruce Kushnick, New Networks Institute; Columnist, Boardwatch Magazine
 >Joe Plotkin,  Bway.net; Board of Advisers, US Internet Service Provider
 >Alliance (USISPA)
 >Jason L. Solotaroff,  Stamell & Schager, LLP
 >Other Speakers TBA
 >
 >SPONSORS:
 >Silicon Alley Station, the "Voice of Silicon Alley", is an Internet news
 >and information radio network at
 >http://siliconalley.net serving the new media and convergent industry
 >professional.
 >
 >New Networks Institute, (NNI) established in 1992, is a research and
 >consulting firm focused on examining the critical telecom and broadband
 >issues that impact customers and competitors. http://www.newnetworks.com
 >
 >CONTACT:
 >Bruce Kushnick, New Networks Institute, 212-777-5418
 >bruce@newnetworks.com
 >Joe Plotkin, Bway.net, 212-982-9800
 >bwayjoe@bway.net
 >
 >Can't make it but want to be updated? -- Send e-mail to 
action@newnetworks.com 



For archives see: http://www.interesting-people.org/