[InHam] Broadband

[KA9QJG]

I thought I had read From the ARRL That this was not going to happen , Now I
just read this un my local Paper , If it is True Indiana wants it Us Hams
better keep a Eye on this Senate Bill 381


73 De Don KA9QJG  I can almost hear You  with the BUZZ




This story ran on nwitimes.com on Monday, April 11, 2005 12:12 AM CDT

Indiana rules hamper broadband deployment

Indiana's telecommunications laws have not been revised since 1985, rules
once designed to regulate monopoly telephone companies no longer make sense.
Consider the competitive changes happening in the industry.

* Hoosiers increasingly use multiple devices, networks, connections and
applications to communicate with one another. This trend will continue.

* Demand for wireless, voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and broadband is
increasing, while traditional wireline and dial-up Internet service usage is
declining.

* Many Hoosiers have dropped their home phone service altogether for a
totally wireless solution.

The Indiana Telecommunications Association is comprised of member companies
ranging from the state's largest telecom providers to nearly 40 mid- and
small-size firms serving Hoosiers. We have our finger on the pulse of the
industry, and we believe Indiana's telecom laws desperately need to be
updated.

As, legislators debate Senate Bill 381, it's important to recognize that the
status quo has hindered Indiana from moving forward. Our state now ranks
40th in the U.S. in broadband deployment. That is unacceptable, and Senate
Bill 381 would go a long way in helping Indiana attract the kind of
multimillion-dollar investments we need to ensure Hoosiers benefit from
advanced broadband technologies.

John Koppin, President, Indiana Telecommunications Association, Indianapolis