Digital Communications Action Group

[James Love <love@tap.org>]

  There is an interest in forming a focused advocacy group, perhaps named 
  the Digital Communications Action Group (DCAG), which would participate 
  in state PUC proceedings and FCC proceedings, focusing on three issues:
  
  1.   Pricing of BRI ISDN service.  (Seeking lower rates in markets where 
       the LEC does not face competition).
  
  2.   Rules for interconnection and unbundling, focusing on rules that 
       will make it easier for new entrants to lease the local loop to 
       provide new digital services, such as ISDN, ASDL, HDSL, etc...
  
  3.   Reform of long distance network access fee structure, with a special 
       effort to prevent the incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs) from
       imposing per minute fees or other usage charges on Internet Service 
       Providers.
  
  The membership of the DCAG would include technology firms (ISPs, software 
  and computer hardware manufactures), content providers (newspapers, 
  database companies), non-profits (consumer, library and education groups) 
  and others.
  
  Right now I need to know the names of firms or groups that would be
  interested in participating.  I'm not too concerned about funding, at this
  point, but mostly about who may be willing to allow their company or
  organization to be publicly identified with advocacy on these issues. 
  On this score, its worth noting that several large fortune 500 firms have
  been lobbied against active participation on these issues by LECs
  (certainly by PacBell, Bell Atlantic and US West, for example). 
  
  I would like to hear from persons who might be interested in this effort.
  
    Please contact me directly...  james love
                                   202/387-8030; fax 202/234-5176
                                   love@tap.org
                                   http://www.essential.org/cpt
  
  
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  James Love / love@tap.org / P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
  Voice: 202/387-8030; Fax 202/234-5176
  Center for Study of Responsive Law
     Consumer Project on Technology; http://www.essential.org/cpt
     Taxpayer Assets Project; http://www.tap.org
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