/nren/nii.1993/nii.universal.service.931015 Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1993 11:48:52 -0400 (EDT) From: Andrew Blau Subject: Universal Service Symposium Announcement To: com-priv@psi.com Forwarded To Com Priv on behalf of the author of the message: The Administration's NII "Agenda for Action" calls "a broad, modern concept of Universal Service" a top priority in its infrastructure development plans; the document also announced a series of public hearings, beginning by the end of this year, to explore the issue of defining and sustaining universal service in the future. In light of the renewed interest in defining and supporting universal service, the Benton Foundation and the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information announce the following one-day symposium: Universal Service: New Challenges and New Options in Tomorrow's Network of Networks A seminar for policymakers, public interest advocates and nonprofit leaders Jointly sponsored by The Benton Foundation & The Columbia Institute for Tele-Information Columbia University Friday, October 15, 1993 8:30 - 5:00 at 1333 H St., N.W. (The AAAS Building) Main Conference Room Washington, DC Universal service -- ensuring that basic communications services are available to all -- is fast moving to the forefront of communication policy issues. Competition threatens to erode the traditional means by which universal telephone service has been supported. At the same time, the popular definition of what services should be universal may expand as health, education, and other civic sector functions are delivered through communications networks that will integrate voice, video and data. On September 15, the White House released "The National Information Infrastructure: Agenda for Action," which announced that the effort to develop "a broad, modern concept of Universal Service" will be a leading goal of this Administration. In order to bring public interest advocates, nonprofit leaders and policymaking staff the latest analyses of these issues, the Benton Foundation and the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI) at Columbia University invite you to join leading academic experts and policy makers to: o explore what universal service has meant and why current programs to achieve it may unravel; o consider recent findings on who remains without basic service today; o hear new proposals to define and support universal service in the future; and o address the special challenge of extending service affordably to rural areas. We are proud to have a distinguished panel of experts addressing these issues, including: Nolan Bowie Associate Professor of Communications, Temple University Bruce Egan Research Fellow, Columbia Institute for Tele-Information Michael Einhorn Economist, US Department of Justice Susan Hadden Professor of Public Affairs, LBJ School, University of Texas, Austin Koichiro Hayashi President & CEO, NTT America Heather Hudson Director, Telecommunications Management & Policy Program, University of San Francisco Milton Mueller Assistant Professor of Communications, Rutgers University Eli Noam Director, Columbia Institute for Tele-Information Professor of Economics & Finance, Columbia University Jorge Schement Associate Professor of Communications, Rutgers University Steven Wildman Director, Program In Telecommunications Science, Management & Policy Associate Professor of Communications Studies, Northwestern University We hope you can join these and other experts to explore fresh analyses and new proposals for addressing what policymakers, industry leaders and public interest advocates all agree will be a top issue in communications policy as the information superhighway is built. Please RSVP by October 7, either by faxing back the attached reply form to the Benton Foundation (202-638-5771) or by email to ablau@cap.gwu.edu, so that we may plan accordingly. Attendance is limited. [ ] Yes, I will be able to attend the symposium on Universal Service on Friday, October 15, at 1333 H St., N.W., Washington, D.C. [ ] No, I can't make it, but please keep me informed about Benton Foundation and Columbia Institute for Tele-Information events. Name: _________________________________________________________ Organization: ___________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________ Telephone number: _____________________ Fax: __________________ email: _____________________________ <><><><><><><><><><><><> About the Benton Foundation's Communications Policy Project Founded in 1980, the Benton Foundation is dedicated to "media in the public interest." For the last 13 years, the foundation has initiated a number of communications policy projects designed to make media access and diversity subjects of widespread discussion and public decision making. In early 1993, Benton launched an initiative in collaboration with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to strengthen public interest advocacy in communications policy and recruit nonprofit involvement to these issues. The Communications Policy Project has several interrelated goals: o to build a new constituency among nonprofit groups to participate in policy advocacy initiatives; o to advance analysis of selected policy issues to help nonprofits see their stake in the policy debate and to equip them with leading edge research and policy options in support of public interest values; o to provide concrete illustrations of the social benefits these new technologies can deliver; and o to encourage demonstrations of nonprofit uses of new technologies that will help create an expanded vision of the new electronic environment. Questions about the program may be directed to Andrew Blau, Program Coordinator (202-638-5770, x31; ablau@cap.gwu.edu), or Larry Kirkman, Executive Director (202-638-5770, x22). About the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information The Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI) celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. The Institute's precursor, The Center for Telecommunications and Information Studies, was the first research center for communications established at a business school in the United States. CITI supports the independent study of economic, policy and management issues involving the telecommunication, computer, and electronic mass media industries. It provides a research environment and national meeting ground in New York City for academic researchers, government policymakers, and private and non-profit sector experts. Economics and allied disciplines are the analytical methodologies central to CITI research. The Institute has published over 650 working papers and 18 books. For more information, contact CITI, c/o Columbia University, Graduate School of Business, 802 Uris Hall, New York, NY 10027, tel: 212-854-4222. Andrew Blau Communications Policy Project The Benton Foundation One Farragut Sq. South, N.W., 12th Fl. Washington, DC 20006 v: 202.638.5770, x31 f: 202.638.5771 ablau@cap.gwu.edu