Public Hearing and Request for Comments on the International Aspects of the National Information Infrastructure

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Public Hearing and Request for Comments on the International

Aspects of the National Information Infrastructure

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of hearing and request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The International Telecommunications Working Group of the

Information Infrastructure Task Force's (IITF) Telecommunications

Policy Committee is developing recommendations for consideration by the

IITF on international telecommunications policy issues related to the

development of a National Information Infrastructure (NII) within the

context of an emerging Global Information Infrastructure (GII). To

ensure that the International Telecommunications Working Group's

recommendations regarding these issues take into consideration all

views, we invite testimony and written comments from interested parties

on any of the topics outlined in the supplementary information section

of this notice.

DATES:

1. July 27 and 28, 1994, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.--public hearing.

2. July 22, 1994--registration to attend the hearing is requested

on or before this date. (The hearing is open to the public but

preregistration is strongly preferred to ensure adequate seating.)

3. July 15, 1994--requests to present oral testimony and a written

copy of the testimony must be received on or before this date.

4. August 12, 1994--all other written comments must be received on

or before this date.

5. August 18, 1994--Written comments will be available for public

inspection on and after this date.

ADDRESSES:

1.The hearing will be held at Georgetown University Conference

Center (Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center), Grand Ballroom, 3800

Reservoir Road, N.W., Washington D.C.

2. Those wishing to attend the hearing should contact Nicole Brown

or Angie Mitchell by telephone at (202) 482- 4772.

3. Requests to testify and all written comments should be submitted

to Randall Cook, Room 5870, Office of the General Counsel, U.S.

Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C. 20230.

4. Written comments will be available for public inspection at the

Department of Commerce Law Library, Room 1894, 15th and Pennsylvania

Ave., N.W.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Randall Cook by telephone at (202)

482-0490, facsimile at (202) 501-4695, electronic mail via the Internet

at [email protected] or by mail at the address listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background and Topics for Discussion

The White House formed the IITF to articulate and implement its

vision for the NII. The Task Force is chaired by Ronald H. Brown, the

Secretary of Commerce, and consists of three committees--the

Telecommunications Policy Committee, the Information Policy Committee,

and the Committee on Applications and Technology. Working with the

private sector, the IITF committees are seeking to develop

telecommunications, information and technology policies to promote

applications that best suit the needs of the United States. Within the

Telecommunications Policy Committee, chaired by Larry Irving, Assistant

Secretary of Commerce for the National Telecommunications and

Information Administration, is the International Telecommunications

Working Group, chaired by Carol C. Darr, Deputy General Counsel of the

U.S. Department of Commerce.

In recognizing that the NII will be a part of a much larger Global

Information Infrastructure, the Administration believes that the

principles that inform our view of the NII also must guide the

development of a GII. To that end, the Administration has identified

five principles essential for the creation of a global information

infrastructure:

Encourage private investment;

Promote competition;

Create a flexible regulatory framework;

Provide open access; and

Ensure universal service.

The International Telecommunications Working Group recognizes that

any re-examination of U.S. international telecommunications policy must

take into account the international dimension of technological

convergence. Measures adopted by other governments in response to this

convergence are likely to affect a broad range of issues related to the

interconnection of the U.S. NII with foreign networks, such as access

to, and interoperability of networks, investment, foreign aid and

assistance, technology transfer, and evolving international

regulations.

In response to these issues, the International Working Group,

through six informal subgroups, has identified six areas that should be

addressed:

U.S. participation in international and regional

organizations and standard-setting bodies;

Foreign trade barriers affecting the U.S. industry and the

development of the NII and, as a related question, the role of foreign

entities in the implementation of infrastructure;

International aspects of pending telecommunications reform

legislation;

Impact of U.S. export controls;

Electronic information exchanges between U.S. and foreign

research organizations; and

U.S. aid and assistance for funding telecommunications

projects and delivering technical assistance to developing countries

and countries with emerging economies.

These informal subgroups have addressed each of these issues,

looking first to the need to document existing circumstances (e.g., to

clarify the respective roles of international, regional and national

organizations and standard-setting bodies) and thereafter to address

whether the Administration's NII objectives would be served better by

changing U.S. policy and/or efforts relating to each area.

In the course of its deliberations, the Working Group has concluded

that traditional U.S. policy approaches toward international

telecommunications have been both appropriate and constructive in

achieving their objectives of obtaining greater access by U.S. firms to

foreign markets, eliminating barriers caused by incompatible standards,

and promoting the competitiveness of U.S. firms in providing

international services. These policies should be continued. However, it

also seems clear that the stimulus for changes in U.S. domestic

policy--the convergence of technologies and blurring of boundaries

between industries and markets--has significant bearing on the

international environment, with corresponding implications for U.S.

international telecommunications policy.

In March, 1994, Vice President Gore discussed the creation of a GII

and emphasized that it will require the participation of all countries.

Many countries have already embarked on national initiatives similar to

the NII, reflecting the increasingly common objective of governments to

facilitate broader access by consumers to an expanded array of

information technologies and services. The European Union, Japan,

Canada, and several countries in developing regions of the world, such

as Latin America, Asia, and Eastern Europe, have identified

telecommunications and information technologies as essential to further

economic growth and development.

We recognize that the creation of a GII will have policy and

operational issues that affect the United States and other countries.

The Working Group is seeking a broader understanding of the emerging

policy issues associated with the international dimension of

technological convergence, and requests comments on the following

issues/questions that have arisen as a result of the work of the

subgroups, and certain general questions with regard to the GII:

Subgroup Questions

1. Are there issues raised by technological convergence on a global

scale that have not been addressed in U.S. policy? What mechanisms

(governmental or private sector, bilateral or multilateral) are best

suited to addressing these issues?

2. Given the manner in which the telecommunications market is

emerging, are the issues in the 1993 NTIA Notice of Inquiry (58 Fed.

Reg. 4846 (January 15, 1993)), which addressed the regulation of

international telecommunications services provided between the United

states and other countries, still primary areas of concern?

3. Given the convergence of technologies and the increase in the

number of organizations developing standards, are the U.S. government/

private sector preparatory processes adequate to promote U.S. interests

in international standards activities? How should the U.S. government

and the private sector facilitate the coordination of standards-setting

bodies?

4. How should the U.S. government address compulsory licensing of

intellectual property rights by international standards-setting bodies?

5. How can the process of developing international standards be

enhanced to ensure the interconnectivity and interoperability of an

NII, and ultimately a GII?

6. In light of the recent and significant liberalization of U.S.

export controls, are further export control reforms appropriate to

ensure that the United States is able to participate fully in the

international marketplace?

General Questions About the GII

7. What is your vision of the GII?

8. What should be the U.S. role in developing the GII?

9. What should be the private sector's role in developing the GII?

10. Given the significant amount of financial resources that will

be necessary to create a GII and the fact that the United States has

limited financial ability to provide aid and assistance, what should

the United States do to stimulate private investment?

11. With regard to the NII, the Administration clearly has

indicated that government policies should remain technologically

neutral. Should this approach also be adopted for the GII?

12. Pursuant to the NII, the Administration is pursuing a domestic

review of current telecommunications laws and regulations. Should this

same type of exercise be pursued with regard to U.S. laws and

regulations addressing international telecommunications?

13. What technical, financial and other issues need to be addressed

in achieving the goal of a global digital library defined by Vice

President Gore in his speech before the International Telecommunication

Union's World Telecommunication Development Conference?

II. Guidelines for Written Comments and Oral Testimony

Written comments must be provided in triplicate and include the

following information:

1. Name and affiliation of the individual responding;

2. Whether the comments offered represent the views of the

individual's organization or are the respondent's personal views;

3. If applicable, a description of the respondent's organization,

including the size, type of organization (e.g. business, trade group,

university, non-profit organization) and principal types of business.

4. A brief, one-page summary of the comments submitted is required.

Those wishing to present oral testimony must adhere to the

following guidelines:

1. No one will be permitted to testify without prior approval.

2. Requests for presenting oral testimony and a written copy of the

speaker's testimony must be submitted by the deadline set forth above.

3. In addition to the guidelines for written comments above,

requests to testify also should include the speaker's mailing address

and phone and facsimile numbers.

4. The exact time allocated per speaker will be determined after

the final number of parties testifying has been determined.

5. Speakers must adhere to guidelines established for testimony,

which will be provided to all speakers no later than July 25, 1994.

A schedule of approximate times for each speaker's testimony will

be provided to all speakers no later than July 25, 1994. Speakers are

advised that the testimony schedule is subject to change during the

course of the hearing.

Dated: June 16, 1994.

Carol C. Darr,

Deputy General Counsel.

[FR Doc. 94-15172 Filed 6-20-94; 8:45 am]

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