Testimony posted October 6, 2000 by Adam D. Thierer
The Role of the FCC in the Information Age
Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, thank you for
inviting me here today to testify on the urgent need for reform of
the Federal Communications Commission. My name is Adam Thierer, and
in my capacity as a regulatory policy analyst for The Heritage
Foundation, I have spent the last decade studying communications
and computing policy issues.
Toward that end,…
Executive Memorandum posted August 14, 2000 by Adam D. Thierer
Avoiding a Telecom Trade War
Members of Congress and officials from the European
Union (EU) are engaged in a bitter war of words over
telecommunications trade and investment issues. If tensions
continue to escalate, this rhetorical battle could become a
full-blown trade war.
The
dispute stems from an amendment to the Commerce, Justice, State,
and Judiciary (CJSJ) appropriations bill offered…
Backgrounder posted April 25, 2000 by Adam D. Thierer
After the Net Tax Commission: The Gregg-Kohl Nexus Solution
After a year of contentious hearings, extensive
testimony, debate, and seemingly endless political grandstanding,
the congressionally appointed Advisory Commission on Electronic
Commerce submitted its final report to Congress on April 12, just
before the deadline required by the Internet Tax Freedom Act of
1998.2
Although the commission was unable to generate the…
Executive Summary posted April 20, 2000 by Adam D. Thierer
Executive Summary: How Free Computers Are Filling the Digital Divide
As the public policy debate over America's "digital
divide" intensifies, federal, state, and local policymakers are
considering what steps should be taken to solve the apparent gap
between the technological "haves" and "have nots." The issue has
two components: the wiring of classrooms for educational purposes
and the wiring of homes to ensure that all Americans have…
Backgrounder posted April 20, 2000 by Adam D. Thierer
How Free Computers Are Filling the Digital Divide
As
the public policy debate over America's "digital divide"
intensifies, federal, state and local policymakers are considering
steps to solve this apparent gap between the technological "haves"
and "have-nots." The issue has two major policy components. The
first deals with the "wiring" of classrooms for educational
purposes and the role of technology in educating…
Executive Memorandum posted February 14, 2000 by Adam D. Thierer, Gregg VanHelmond
The President's Budget Proposes a High-Tech Pork Barrel
President Clinton's recently released fiscal year
(FY) 2001 budget contains a veritable high-tech pork barrel of new
federal programs and spending initiatives. Among them are plans to
spend roughly $2 billion on a "national crusade" to solve an
alleged "digital divide" separating the Internet haves and
have-nots. Despite the amazing spread of digital technology…
Executive Memorandum posted February 1, 2000 by Adam D. Thierer
A "Digital Divide" or a Deluge of Opportunity?
During his State of the Union address on
January 27, 1999, President Bill Clinton argued that "a national
crusade" was necessary to connect all Americans to the Internet.
The Administration sees a "digital divide" between those in America
who have access to the Internet and those who do not. The President
and supporters of his plan in the Administration and…