Open Access the Answer
I am alarmed by recent television commercials by cable companies claiming that the government should take its hands off the Internet. The reality is that the Internet continues to flourish and enrich society because of the dynamic interaction between the government and people at the forefront of technological innovation. When Vice President Al Gore pronounced the age of the “Information Superhighway,” he focused public attention and much-needed federal funding on schools, libraries, cultural centers and institutions of higher learning to advance access to Internet technology. Communities with access to the Internet have a definitive edge in the areas of business, education, and entertainment. Communities without access will be left behind in the Information Age.
AT & T;/TCI and MediaOne are trying to consolidate their monopoly over high-speed Internet access via cable lines. They suggest that the money they have invested in building their network is enough to sanction exclusive rights to use the cable lines and public rights of way while denying access to other Internet service providers. This will effectively shut out competition in the high-speed access marketplace, subjecting consumers to one proprietary gatekeeper. Obviously, this is why cable companies want the government to keep its hands off the Internet.
Cable companies will also be able to decide which communities to service with high-speed Internet access and which ones to exclude. We can safely assume that poorer communities will be excluded. This technological redlining will harm the city in the long run by widening the existing gap between technology Haves and Have-Nots.
As representatives of the people of Los Angeles, we have the responsibility to create a level playing field, to promote competition, and to safeguard consumer choice. We have the responsibility to ensure that people on fixed incomes and those in low-income communities will not be priced out of high-speed Internet access. We should be proactive in setting sound public policy that will make the Internet affordable, available, and accessible for everyone in our city. In effect, we should put our hands on the Internet to open the way for people in our communities to put their hands on the Internet, on the information available on the World Wide Web, and on the resources which will give them access to a better quality of life.
NATE HOLDEN
City Councilman, 10th District
