elg@killer.UUCP (Eric Green) (08/09/87)
Glitch in the law:
The original bulletin proposed a low-frequency low-power public digital radio
service (using the same section of the law that applies to children's
walkie-talkies and other such things).
Note that under the proposed new FCC rules applying to enhanced services, a
computer attached to a modem is an enhanced service, and if that computer uses
a radio modem to transmit across state lines, then that computer is an
interstate enhanced service and thus every minute of connect time to that
computer must be, by the proposed rules, assessed carrier access fees. Yet
another reason to defeat that inane proposal! Get your responses out in a
hurry, because the deadline is August 24! Otherwise, on January 1, 1988, the
Evil Witch of the East will come across and carry off a lot of folk's network
access!
The docket in question is FCC General Docket 87-215, you must send them six
copies (minimum) of your comments, with the docket number prominent at the top
(else it gets "lost"), and give them some good reasons about why
non-interexchange enhanced services shouldn't be assessed access fees....
Example:
"My university is on BITNET, and our leased line crosses state lines,
making us an interstate enhanced service" (note that the definition of an
"enhanced service" is anything connected to the phone line, that does other
than transmit voice). "This will result in billing nightmares... how can we
tell what prcentage of modem us is interstate access? What about electronic
mail, which runs in the background while the person isn't logged on? What
about information RECIEVED over the network, and later read by all persons on
the machine? What about people logged in over our LAN, how can we tell that
their initial login on the other machine, was via modem?"
Or:
"We are a public institution. Our budget was fixed in law in May 1987,
before your decision. Please delay it until at least July 1988, because
otherwise, we lose all our network access from January 1988 to July 1988 due
to the budget not covering the increased costs. "
The docket was recently posted to the net. Someone posted a "toolkit" about
how to respond to the FCC, if I get 10 (ten) requests, I'll re-post (sorry, I
can't EMAIL to most of the net without a path to ihnp4, cuae2, or cbosgd,
because machine "killer" doesn't have a smart mailer and our map entries seem
to be a bit messed up, resulting in pathalias giving weird wonderful useless
paths). I notified the poster of the toolkit about the August 24 time limit,
hopefully he'll eventually post an updated toolkit, but time is limited and
I'm afraid that he might not get it out in time for most of you to
respond....
--
Eric Green elg%usl.CSNET Ollie North for President:
{cbosgd,ihnp4}!killer!elg A man we can believe (in).
Snail Mail P.O. Box 92191
Lafayette, LA 70509 BBS phone #: 318-984-3854 300/1200 baud