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diff --git a/doc/rfc/rfc1527.txt b/doc/rfc/rfc1527.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9427f29 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/rfc/rfc1527.txt @@ -0,0 +1,955 @@ + + + + + + +Network Working Group G. Cook +Request for Comments: 1527 Cook Report +Category: Informational September 1993 + + + What Should We Plan Given the Dilemma of the Network? + +Status of this Memo + + This memo provides information for the Internet community. It does + not specify an Internet standard. Distribution of this memo is + unlimited. + +Abstract + + Early last year, as the concluding effort of an 18 month appointment + at the US Congress Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), I drafted a + potential policy framework for Congressional action on the National + Research and Education Network (NREN). + + The Internet community needs to be asking what the most important + policy issues facing the network are. And given agreement on any + particular set of policy issues, the next thing we should be asking + is, what would be some of the political choices that would follow for + Congress to make? + + It is unfortunate that this was never officially done for or by the + Congress by OTA. What we have as a result is network policy making + being carried out now by the Science Subcommittee on the House side + in consultation with a relatively small group of interested parties. + The debate seems to be more focused on preserving turf than on any + sweeping understanding of what the legislation is doing. That is + unfortunate. + + In the hope that it may contain some useful ideas, I offer a + shortened version of the suggested policy draft as information for + the Internet community. + +Table of Contents + + The Dilemma of an Unregulated Public Resource in a Free Market + Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 + Regulation is a key NREN policy issue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 + Technology Transfer Goals Achieved? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 + The Context for Policy Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 + Whom Shall the Network Serve? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 + Access to the NREN is a key policy issue . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 + How Far To Extend Network Access? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 + + + +Cook [Page 1] + +RFC 1527 Cook Report on Internet September 1993 + + + A Corporation for Public Networking? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 + Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 + Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 + Author's Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 + +The Dilemma of an Unregulated Public Resource in a Free Market +Environment + + As currently structured, the NSFnet and american Internet provide + access to several million researchers and educators, hundreds of + thousands of remote computers, hundreds of databases, and hundreds of + library catalogues. Money being invested in the network as a result + of the High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) initiative + should considerably increase the numbers and variety behind this + unprecedented collection of resources. No other computer network on + earth currently comes close to providing access to the breadth and + depth of people and information. If access to information is access + to power, access to the national computer network will mean access to + very significant power. + + Furthermore, access to the american Internet and NREN is also + access to the worldwide Internet. According to the Director for + International Programs at the NSF in February 1992, the development + of the Internet over the past twelve years has been one of + exponential growth: + + Date Connected Hosts + + August 1981 213 + October 1985 1,961 + December 1987 28,174 + January 1989 80,000 + January 1991 376,000 + January 1992 727,000 + + These hosts are computers to which anyone in the world with Internet + access can instantaneously connect and use if there are publically + available files. Any host may also be used for remote computing if + the system administrator gives the user private access. These seven + hundred thousand plus hosts are located in more than 38 nations. But + they are only part of the picture. By system-to-system transfer of + electronic mail they are linked to probably a million additional + hosts. According to Dr. Larry Landweber of the University of + Wisconsin, as of February 10, 1992, Internet electronic mail was + available in 106 nations and territories. + + + + + + +Cook [Page 2] + +RFC 1527 Cook Report on Internet September 1993 + + + Unfortunately, our current regulatory system does not distinguish + between the unique nature of the Internet and commercial systems like + Prodigy and Compuserve where perhaps a million people pay monthly + fees for access to systems offering a few dozen databases run from + two or three hosts and electronic mail to several hundred thousand + people instead of many millions. (The picture is made somewhat fuzzy + by the fact that Compuserve does provide electronic mail access to + the Internet through a gateway and for an extra charge.) The Federal + Communications Commission (FCC) considers all three to be Value Added + Networks (VANs) run by Enhanced Service Providers. All use common + carriers to provide their enhanced services and the FCC, in refusing + to regulate them, reasons that all services are roughly alike. If, + for example, Compuserve charges too much, the consumer can quit + Compuserve and move to Prodigy. Or, if the monthly cost of access to + the Internet were to become too much, access to Prodigy or Compuserve + would be basically the same thing. Here unfortunately the analogy + fails: the Internet now and the NREN to be, with its unparalleled + resources, is not the same. Nevertheless, the FCC points out that + without Congressional action it is powerless to regulate NREN service + providers. + +Regulation is a key NREN policy issue. + + Perhaps there will be no need for regulation. Hopefully, the + marketplace for the provision of network services will remain + competitive and higher prices and cream skimming will not keep the + national network out of the reach of the general public who wish to + avail themselves of what it has to offer. However, given the scope + and power of what is contemplated here, Congress should realize that + there are important considerations of social and economic equity + behind the question of access to the network. This is especially + true since libraries and groups representing primary and secondary + schools are demanding what could be considered as universal access to + the network without having any knowledge of how such access might be + funded. + + The economic stakes are huge. Other players such as US West's + Advanced Communications division are entering the market and AT&T is + expected to do so by the spring. When combined with the award of the + EINet backbone to Uunet, their entry should help to level the playing + field. While one company is less likely to dominate such an + uncontrolled, unregulated market, those concerned about widespread + affordable access to the network would do well to watch unfolding + events with care. + + + + + + + +Cook [Page 3] + +RFC 1527 Cook Report on Internet September 1993 + + +Technology Transfer Goals Achieved? + + Policy makers may ask how much priority the Federal government should + continue to give technology transfer in a market where the technology + that allegedly still needs aiding is showing remarkable signs of + maturity? As they debate the course on which they wish to take the + network over the next five years, policy makers may find that one + answer to the apparent disparity between the emphasis in the + legislation on the provision of the network by the government, and + the growing number of commercial sources of network availability is + that the market matured very rapidly while the HPCC legislation + remained unchanged. + + In view of all the remarkable commercial achievements (outlined in + this essay) in the four years since the NREN idea arose, perhaps the + policy objective of technology transfer for economic competitiveness + could be considered to be achieved! A commercially viable high speed + data networking industry, with the entrance of Sprint in January 1992 + and the anticipated entrance of AT&T, has reached maturity. + + Therefore, having successfully achieved its technology transfer + goals, the Congress must decide whether to continue to underwrite the + network as a tool in support of science and education goals. It + seems reasonable to assume that this support could be undertaken in a + way that would not seriously undermine the commercial TCP/IP data + networking market place. + +The Context for Policy Setting + + In order to make informed choices of goals for the network, Congress + must understand the context of a rapidly commercializing network. + The resulting context is likely to produce serious impacts both on + the user community and the development of future network technology. + It is likely to make some goals more easily attainable than others. + Given its maturity, the commercialization of TCP/IP wide area + networking technology is inevitable. + + Some have already begun to question whether the government should be + providing backbone services where commercial alternatives are + currently available and are expected to grow in number. + + Supporters of the NREN vision argue that the NSF is using government + funds to build a leading edge network faster than the commercial + alternatives. They say that use of public funds on such technology + development is appropriate. Their critics state that the T-3 + technology (also called DS-3) is dead end and point out that the next + logical step is refining the network so that it can use ATM and + SONET. For aggregate gigabit speeds along the backbone, use of ATM + + + +Cook [Page 4] + +RFC 1527 Cook Report on Internet September 1993 + + + and SONET will be necessary. Critics claim that the T-1 backbone + could be engineered to accommodate the network for a while longer + while Federal funds would be more appropriately invested now in an + ATM and SONET development effort. They say that Federal policy is + being used to enable IBM to have a testbed for the development of + DS-3 TCP/IP routers when Network Technologies makes a comparable + product that is already proven and reliable. Whether the Federal + Government should be providing backbone services or merely support + for access and improved network features is a key policy issue. + + Finding the best answer to the questions raised by this issue is + likely to center on the ability of the Federal mission agencies + involved in high speed network development to articulate a long term + plan for the development of new network technology over the next + decade. How we shall use what is learned in the gigabit testbeds has + not yet been clearly addressed by policy makers. Continuation of the + testbeds is currently uncertain. There is also no plan to apply the + outcome to the production NREN. These are areas deserving of federal + involvement. The current players seem to be incapable of addressing + them. Some possible courses of Federal action will be identified in + the discussion of a Corporation for Public Networking to follow. + + In the meantime, we face a period of four to five years where the NSF + is scheduled to take the NSFnet backbone through one more bid. While + Federal support for the current production backbone may be + questionable on technology grounds, policy makers, before setting + different alternatives: + + - must understand very clearly the dual policy drivers + behind the NREN, + + - must define very clearly the objectives of the network, + and + + - must carefully define a both a plan and perhaps a + governing mechanism for their achievement. + + A sudden withdrawal of Federal support for the backbone would be + likely to make a chaotic situation more so. However, the application + of focused planning could define potentially productive alternatives + to current policies that could be applied by the time of the backbone + award announcement in April of 1993. + +Whom Shall the Network Serve? + + The HPCC legislation gives the FCCSET a year to prepare a report to + the Congress on goals for the network's eventual privatization. + Thanks to the NSF's decision to rebid the backbone, this task may no + + + +Cook [Page 5] + +RFC 1527 Cook Report on Internet September 1993 + + + longer be rendered moot by premature network privatization. The + FCCSET Report needs to address many questions. + + One question is the extent to which, in the higher education + environment, Congress through the National Science Foundation, or + perhaps through another entity of its own choosing will continue to + underwrite networking. A related question is whether or when + Congress should act in order to preserve a competitive networking + provider environment. A question subsidiary to this is whether a + competitive commercial environment is adequate to ensure a fertile + data networking technical R&D environment? Another related question + centers on what is necessary to preserve network access that is as + widely available to post-secondary education as possible? Further + issues center on what type of access to promote. Should Congress + support the addition to the network of many of the expensive + capabilities promoted by the advocates of the NREN vision? What if + funds spent here mean that other constituencies such as K-12 do not + get adequate support? + +Access to the NREN is a key policy issue. + + If network use is as important for improving research and education + as its supporters allege it to be, Congress may wish to address the + issue of why, at institutions presently connected to the network, + only a small minority of students and faculty are active users. If + it examines the network reality carefully, Congress may sense that it + is time to leverage investment in the network by improving the + network's visibility and usability within the communities it is + supposed to serve through improved documentation and training rather + than by blindly underwriting massive increases in speed. + +How Far To Extend Network Access? + + With the broadening discussion of the NREN vision, expectations of + many segments of the population not originally intended to be served + by the network have been raised. An avid group of educators wishing + to use the network in K-12 education has arisen. If + commercialization brought significant price increases, it could + endanger the very access these educators now have to the network. + + Native Americans have begun to ask for access to the network. How + will Congress respond to them? And to the general library community + which with the Coalition for Networked Information has been avidly + pressing its desires for NREN funds? And to state and local + government networks? + + Congress should recognize that choices about network access for these + broader constituencies will be made at two levels. Access for large + + + +Cook [Page 6] + +RFC 1527 Cook Report on Internet September 1993 + + + numbers could be purchased by the government from commercial + providers at considerable expense - an unlikely development in view + of the Federal budget deficit. In the meantime, given the current + mix of government supported and commercial providers, the environment + for these user classes is quite competitive. Those who are able to + pay their own way can generally gain access to the network from a + choice of providers at reasonable cost. Congress can act on behalf + of these constituencies by ensuring that the market for the + provisioning of network services remains open and competitive. Short + of either regulating the industry or establishing a new government + operated network, careful use of subsidies will have the most impact + on ensuring an open and competitive network. Congress can also + choose to view access as a function of price. If Congress does opt + for this course, it has several choices to ensure that prices will be + affordable. It could seek to impose regulations on the network + providers through the FCC at a national level or urge the state PUCs + to do it at the local level. (Of course the viability of state PUC + regulation, becomes questionable by the near certainty that there + would be little uniformity in how the PUCs in each state would treat + a national service.) Congress also could impose a tariff on network + providers profits and use the tariff to subsidize universal access. + It should, of course, understand that these courses of action would + raise touchy questions of conflicts between Federal and state + jurisdiction. + + Congress may also have been vague in dealing with these broader + network constituencies, because it wishes to sidestep making these + difficult choices. The origin of most of these choices may be traced + to the addition of education policy goals for the Network symbolized + by the changing of its name from the National Research Network to the + National Research and Education Network in the OSTP Program Plan in + September 1989. While this action got the attention and support of + new constituencies for the Network, it did not bring any significant + shift to the science and mission agency oriented direction of network + development. The legislation remained essentially unchanged: + "educators and educational institutions" were as specific as the + language of the bills ever got. Perhaps this was almost on purpose? + Having goals that were more specific might imply the need to justify + with some precision why some individual segments of the networking + community deserved service while some did not. + + Unless Congress were able to construct a separate rationale for the + needs of each of the network constituencies - from supercomputer + users to grade school students - specific goal setting by Congress + might imply that Congress was arbitrarily judging some network + constituencies to be more worthy than others. This would be a + difficult course to follow because those who were left out would want + to know what the basis for such a judgment would be? Solid answers + + + +Cook [Page 7] + +RFC 1527 Cook Report on Internet September 1993 + + + would be difficult to come by because networking as enabling + educational technology is so new that no one is as yet quite sure how + to measure its value. Without such assurances, it may be difficult + for Congress to know how to justify its spread on any other grounds + than equity of opportunity. + + Indeed there is a constituency of grass roots-oriented, small-scale + network builders allied with elements of the library community. This + constituency suggests that computer networks will very quickly become + such powerful means of access to information that lack of access to + them will soon will carry serious implications for social and + economic equity within the nation. + + These groups can be expected to be very vocal in their demands that + some minimal level of access to the national network be widely + available and affordable. They are likely to ask that Congress turn + its attention to the feasibility of establishing the goal of + universal access to the national network. Although the technology + and economic conditions are quite different from the conditions of + the 1934 Communications Act, they are likely to demand action + analogous to that. + + Motivated by these concerns, Mitch Kapor has been arguing very + eloquently for the building of the NREN as a National Public Network. + Asked to define what he saw as being at stake, he said the following + to the author in September 1991: + + "Information networking is the ability to communicate by means of + digitally-encoded information, whether text, voice, graphics, or + video. Increasingly, it will become the major means for + participation in education, commerce, entertainment, and other + important social functions. It is therefore important that all + citizens, not just the affluent, have the opportunity to + participate in this new medium. To exclude some is to cut them + off from the very means by which they can advance themselves to + join the political social and economic mainstream and so consign + them to second-class status forever. This argument is analogous + to that which was made in favor of universal voice telephone + service - full social participation in American life would require + access to a telephone in the home." + + Kapor through his Electronic Frontier Foundation, (EFF) is working + hard to make sure that Congress is compelled to address the question + of universal network access. The EFF has also begun to press for the + use of ISDN as a technologically affordable means of bringing the + benefits of a national network to all Americans. + + If Congress wishes to promote widespread access to the network and to + + + +Cook [Page 8] + +RFC 1527 Cook Report on Internet September 1993 + + + design an network that is amenable to widespread use, it will do well + to examine carefully the position that the EFF is articulating. It + would also do well to look outside the confines of the Federal + Networking Council (FNC) and the FNC Advisory Commission that is made + up of members similar in orientation to the FNC and is scheduled for + only four meetings and a two-year-long existence. If it wishes to + increase secondary and elementary school access to the network, it + could investigate enlarging the very small role granted by the + legislation to the Department of Education. Unfortunately, without + careful planning what would be gained by this is unclear. The + Department of Education has never played a significant role in + computer networking. The immediate needs of the K-12 arena are + focused mainly around maintaining the existence of affordable low + bandwidth access and the support of successful pioneering efforts. + + When Congress states its intentions for the scope of access to the + network and, as a part of doing so, sets priorities for investment in + network bandwidth versus ease of use, it can then turn its attention + only to one other area. + +A Corporation for Public Networking? + + Network governance and oversight are key policy issues. + + If Congress has doubts about the current situation, it might want to + consider the creation of an entity for NREN management, development, + oversight and subsidization more neutral than the NSF. + + Action should be taken to ensure that any such an entity be more + representative of the full network constituency than is the NSF. If + Congress decides to sanction network use by a community broader than + the scientific and research elite, it must understand the importance + of creating a forum that would bring together the complete range of + stake holders in the national network. + + While such a forum would not have to be a carbon copy of the + Corporation for Public Broadcasting, given the half billion dollars + to be spent on the network over the next five years and the very + confused and contentious policy picture, it might make sense to spend + perhaps a million dollars a year on the creation of an independent + oversight and planning agency for the network. Such an entity could + report its findings to the Congress and respond to goals formulated + by the Congress. + + Congress could declare the development and maintenance of a national + public data network infrastructure a matter of national priority. It + could make it clear the government will, as it does in issues of + national transportation systems, the national financial system, and + + + +Cook [Page 9] + +RFC 1527 Cook Report on Internet September 1993 + + + national communications systems, maintain an interest in the + development and control of a system that serves both the goals of + improved education and new technology development. + + To carry out such a mandate, a Corporation for Public Networking + (CPN) could have fifteen governors nominated by the members of the + network community and subject to the approval of the Congress. + + Each governor would represent a network constituency. + + 1. The NSF + 2. Department of Energy + 3. National Aeronautics & Space Administration + 4. Advanced Research Projects Agency + 5. Corporate Users + 6. K-12 + 7. Higher Education + 8. Public Libraries & State and Local Networks + 9. Commercial Network Information Service Providers + 10. Interexchange Carriers such as AT&T, MCI, Sprint, etc. + 11. The Regional Bell Operating Companies + 12. Personal Computer Users + 13. Computer Manufacturers + 14. Disabled Users + 15. University Computing + + Since the legislation calls for backbone nodes in all 50 states, such + a structure would be a reasonable way to coordinate Federal support + for the network on a truly national basis - one that, by + acknowledging the network as a national resource, would give + representation to the full breadth of its constituencies. Governors + could use the network to sample and help to articulate the national + concerns of their respective constituencies. + + If it adopted these goals, Congress could give a CPN a range of + powers: + + 1. The CPN could be a forum for the expression of the + interests of all NREN constituencies. In the event the + network were to be administered by the NSF, it could be + serve as a much more accurate sounding board of network + user concerns than the FNC or the FNC Advisory Council. + + 2. The CPN could be authorized to make recommendations to NSF + and other agencies about how funds should be distributed. + + Such recommendations could include truly independent + assessments of the technical needs of the network + + + +Cook [Page 10] + +RFC 1527 Cook Report on Internet September 1993 + + + community and the most cost effective ways of achieving + them. + + 3. The CPN could itself be given responsibility for funding + distribution. Such responsibilities would incur an + increase in administrative costs and staff. Nevertheless, + by creating an opportunity to start a process from scratch + and one that would consequently be free of the vested + interests of the National Science Foundation in high-end + network solutions, Congress would likely get a clearer + picture of where and how effectively public monies were + being expended. With such responsibility the CPN could + also keep extensive pressure on network providers to + remain interconnected. When thinking about cost, Congress + should also remember that effective oversight of subsidies + funneled through NSF would imply the hiring of extra staff + within that agency as well. + + 4. Congress might want to ask a CPN to examine the use of the + $200 million in NREN R&D monies. Policy direction + dictating the spending of Federal funds is still suffering + from the fuzzy boundaries between the network as a tool + for leveraging technology competitiveness into commercial + networking environments and the network as a tool to + facilitate science and education. If Congress decides + that the major policy direction of the network should be + to develop the network for use as a tool in support of + science and education, then it may want monies directed + toward ARPA to be focused on improved databases, user + interfaces and user tools like knowbots rather than a + faster network used by fewer and fewer people. A CPN that + was representative of the breadth of the network's user + constituencies could provide better guidance than the + FCCSET or ARPA for spending Federal subsidies aimed at + adding new capabilities to the network. + + 5. Additional levels of involvement could have the CPN act as + a national quasi-board of networking public utilities. It + could be given an opportunity to promote low cost access + plans developed by commercial providers. If it borrowed + some of the fund raising structure of National Public + Radio, it should be able to raise very significant funds + from grass roots users at the individual and small + business level who are made to feel that they have a stake + in its operation. + + 6. If congress wanted to increase further the role given the + CPN, it could decide that with network commercialization + + + +Cook [Page 11] + +RFC 1527 Cook Report on Internet September 1993 + + + and technology transfer goals completed, the majority of + the NREN funds go to the CPN which could then put out a + bid for a CPN backbone. In effect Congress could dictate + that the backbone announced by the NSF for implementation + in 1993 be implemented and run as a joint project between + the NSF and a CPN. + + All entities should be considered eligible to join and use + the CPN in support of research and education. Commercial + companies who wanted to use the CPN to interact with the + academic community should pay a commercial rate to do so. + + With the availability of a parallel commercial network, + commercial restrictions on the CPN could be very much + loosened to include anything in support of research and + education. The CPN would study and report to Congress on + how gateways between commercial TCP/IP networks and the + CPN network could be maintained. + + 7. Some suggest that the Congress go even further. These + people emphasize that a replacement for the R&D aspects of + the Internet in the context of commercialization and + privatization is uncertain. Bell Labs and Bellcore remain + as the research arms of the Public Switched Telephone + Network. However neither of them have ever developed + major strengths in wide area data networking. Nor do they + appear to be likely to do so in the near future. Despite + this situation, the major private investment made in the + Gigabit Testbeds indicate that the american + telecommunications industry feels a need to invest in + continued research. This is something that the current + commercial players are too small to do. Furthermore, it + is something that the larger players driven by pressure to + report quarterly profits may find difficult to do. + + Congress could make a decision that Federal investment in + the technology should emphasize less pump-priming to + increase the pace of what most see as inevitable + commercialization and more the continued building of new + networking technology for both technology transfer and + support of the technology as an enabling tool. In this + case Congress could direct the CPN to plan, deploy and + manage a state of the art public information + infrastructure. With goals for constituencies and levels + of service defined, the CPN could produce for Congress + multiple scenarios for developing and maintaining two + networks. + + + + +Cook [Page 12] + +RFC 1527 Cook Report on Internet September 1993 + + + The first would be an experimental network where the very + newest technologies could be explored. It could be very + similar to the current gigabit testbeds but this time with + all five projects linked together. The second would be a + state-of-the-art operational network that can provide wide + spread field trials of technology developed on the + experimental network. With the maturation of the + technology on the operational network it would be + available for open transfer to commercial service. It + should be remembered that such a continuous widespread + network R&D environment would provide wide spread training + experience for graduate students that would otherwise be + unavailable. + + Initial seed money would come from public funds. However, + the bulk of support could come from a percentage of + profits (as cash or in kind contributions) that + participating companies would be required to contribute to + the CPN as the price of admission for developing and + benefiting from new technology. Care should be taken in + structuring contributions in a way that small start-up + firms would not be locked out. To ensure this, Congress + could mandate that the CPN commissioners (perhaps with + appropriate oversight from the National Academy of + Sciences, the IEEE, or the ACM) develop a plan to ensure + that the cost of entry to such a testbed not exceed the + capitalization of the current small commercial players. + + It could also require the development of proposals to + handle the issues of interconnection billing, billing for + actual use versus size of connection, and interoperability + among network providers. + + A different financing model could be explored if the CPN + were instructed to report on the feasibility of selling + shares to commercial carriers in a national networking + testbed and R&E network where carriers could, over a long + term basis, develop and mature new networking technologies + before transferring them to the commercial marketplace. + + 8. In its November 1, 1991 recommendations to the National + Science Foundation, FARNET suggested that the NSF should + consider the issuance of several separate solicitations + for the development of software tools for end-user + applications and network management and operations. To + emphasize its point it added: "we believe that the lack + of useful tools for information retrieval and display is + one of the biggest impediments to the productive use of + + + +Cook [Page 13] + +RFC 1527 Cook Report on Internet September 1993 + + + the network and has impaired the credibility of the NREN + in the eyes of the target user populations." FARNET + admonished the NSF to emphasize open architectures and + standards in its solicitations, adding that "where + standards are not adequately understood or developed, the + NSF should support programs to test, evaluate and improve + them." + + FARNET concluded by recommending + + "that the NSF, working with the user community and + the providers, define and implement clear criteria + for the award of additional funding to mid-level and + campus networks . . . The new criteria should be + designed to further . . . goals such as the extension + of network services to new or underserved communities + (for ubiquity); the improvement of network + operations, procedures and tools (for reliability); + the enhancement of existing services through + development activities, upgrading of existing + connections to 'have not' institutions; leveraging of + state, local, and private funds (to maximize the + impact of Federal investment), and training and + support for end-users (in cooperation with national + and local programs)." + + If a CPN is created, it should be directly involved with + working toward these important goals. If implementation + of the network is left to the National Science Foundation, + Congress should emphasize the importance of the NSF's + meeting these goals. + + 9. Finally, a strong and broad-based CPN might be able to + make recommendations to Congress on the identification and + resolution of problems of telecommunications policy + engendered by the continued growth of this network + technology. It could perhaps play an educational role in + advising state Public Utilities Commissions on the long + term implications of their decisions. + +Summary + + Policy makers must soon decide whether the National Research and + Education Network is a public or a private good. Although + privatization appears to be proceeding apace, since the network + backbone will be rebid, there should be time for some careful + planning for the development and evolution of what can, within 10 to + 20 years, become an extraordinarily powerful system that is as + + + +Cook [Page 14] + +RFC 1527 Cook Report on Internet September 1993 + + + ubiquitous as the current telephone network and provides all + Americans with access to information in much the same way as public + libraries were created for a similar purpose a century ago. + + Congress must understand that the NREN is not just a new technology + (indeed much is of it is old technology), but has the potential to + become the most powerful means of access to information ever created. + Within this context it must decide whom the NREN shall serve. It + must decide whom shall have access to the NREN. + + Once it has done this further options fall into four major areas: + + First: Congress must decide degree of oversight + that is necessary to extend to the network. Such + oversight could range from legislating that the + FCC regulate the network, to strict reviews of + the NSF's actions, to vesting oversight powers + in a Corporation for Public Networking. + + Second: It must decide whether the appropriate place to + subsidize technology transfer is within a + privatized operational NREN or within the + experimental gigabit testbeds. Without a better + understanding both of how the technologies are + evolving in the commercial market place, and the + evolution of both the testbeds and the NREN, it + will be difficult to make make a wise decision. + In addition, we must expect that the nature of + its choice will be further influenced by its + decision on whom the network is to serve. + + Third: It must decide whether to subsidize a backbone + for an NREN. If it does subsidize such a + backbone, it must decide whether it shall be + built as a private network or as a part of the + PSTN. + + Fourth: It must decide whether to subsidize additional + connectivity or broader use within connected + institutions or both. In other words, should + more institutions be connected to the network, + or should the network be made easier to use by + the members of those institutions already + connected? + + To the extent that Congress chooses to pursue options three and four, + it will want to explore the scenario for the Corporation for Public + Networking discussed above. + + + +Cook [Page 15] + +RFC 1527 Cook Report on Internet September 1993 + + + Access to information is access to power. The creation of a National + Research and Education Network based on the NSFnet and the remainder + of the american Internet will mean the creation of a national + information access system of unprecedented power. In its ability to + affect the lives and well being of Americans, the NREN, if properly + designed, will be just as significant as the national Interstate + highway system and the national electric power grid. The national + highway, or the national power grid, or the national telephone system + could serve as models for implementation. The Federal Government + provides a public but otherwise unregulated Interstate highway system + with universal access available to all Americans. Private industry + provides our electric power. However, it was allowed to do so only + in return for submitting to Federal and state regulation designed to + ensure affordable national access by all citizens. The national + telephone system has been established under a similar "social + contract". If the nation is not to be dangerously split into + information rich and information poor classes, policy makers have + about five years in which to choose a Federally provided National + network, or a privately provided but nationally regulated network. + + During the development and maturation of the national network, policy + makers should also be very attentive to its impact on the public + switched telephone network (PSTN). The technology involved and the + speed with which it is changing will only increase the potentially + serious impact from the freedom of unregulated components of the + telecommunications industry to pursue market solutions that will keep + regulated companies from becoming viable players. We must realize + that we are about to enter a power struggle for the control of the + information resources of the 21st century that promises to be every + bit as harsh and bruising as the power struggle for natural resources + was at the end of the last century. + + While the intentions of most appear to be good, as this study has + shown, the playing field is terribly confused. Gigabit technology (if + properly understood) is desirable. Still we should take great care + that its cost does not raise the price of low bandwidth or "low end" + entry into the network. + + Lack of a specific definition of communities to be served, lack of an + agreed upon plan for how they shall be served, and lack of funds to + serve everyone have combined to create the present chaotic situation + in which many of the players have been motivated primarily by a + desire to increase their institutional role in order to get larger + Federal allocations of funds. + + In the absence of both a well-thought-out plan agreed to by all + parties and adequate monetary support, the grand push to accelerate + both the speed and scope of the technology could have the ironic role + + + +Cook [Page 16] + +RFC 1527 Cook Report on Internet September 1993 + + + of weakening the entire foundation of the network. Until the + Congress provides more direction, the squabbling that has developed + is likely to continue. In the absence of such direction, at best + large sums of public funds may be ineffectively spent, and at worst a + picture of empire building could emerge that would make any Federal + support for research or educational networking unlikely. + + Such an outcome should be avoided because the potential of a well + designed and developed network to do great good in both policy arenas + is very significant. Unfortunately with the NSF under mounting + criticism, ANS on the defensive and rumored to be financially + weakened, and Congressional hearings scheduled for mid-March, the + potential for a destructive free-for-all is very great. + +Security Considerations + + Security issues are not discussed in this memo. + +Author's Address + + Gordon Cook, Editor and Publisher + COOK Report on Internet + 431 Greenway Ave + Ewing, NJ 08618 + + Phone: (609) 882-2572 + EMail: cook@path.net + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Cook [Page 17] +
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