May 2000 PulseOnline: Inside Washington: TIA Annual Spring Policy Summit for Key Policy-Makers and Industry Representatives a Roaring Success (Page 1 of 2)

TIA Annual Spring Policy Summit for Key Policy-Makers and Industry Representatives a Roaring Success

TIA re-launched its annual Policy Summit the weekend of March 31, 2000, at the Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Va. The theme of the summit -- "The Broadband Revolution: Where to Go from Here?" -- is not only timely, but also of utmost significance, because demand for broadband services, convergence and the emergence of high-level applications are three principal drivers of U.S. communications equipment spending, which totaled $135 billion in 1999. This explosive market has been stimulated not only by the entrance of new competitors but also by increased spending on the part of incumbent carriers.


Grant Seiffert, TIA vice president of government relations, moderates a panel called "Washington Movers & Shakers." Discussing the key priorities for communications policy-makers are (l-r): Seiffert, Maureen McLaughlin, Senate Committee on Commerce; Mike Chappell, Office of Rep. Chip Pickering; Colin Crowell, Office of Rep. Edward Markey; Mike O'Rielly, House Committee on Commerce; Peter Tenhula, FCC Commissioner Michael Powell's office; and Ben Cline, Office of Rep. Bob Goodlatte. Congressman Mike Oxley stresses to summit participants that the China PNTR vote is the most critical vote that Congress will cast this year.

This revolution would grind to a halt, however, without the enabling technologies of TIA's member companies, which have allowed consumers, businesses and countries to put the power of communications and the Internet to work for them. TIA's Spring Policy Summit, therefore, offered the actors shaping this digital revolution -- the industry representatives and the policy-makers -- a forum in which to discuss policy measures that will accelerate the domestic and global development and deployment of advanced communications and information technologies. Furthermore, the summit gave TIA member companies an opportunity to interact with key policy-makers from Capitol Hill and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in a relaxed setting, to discuss communications policy and to enhance personal relationships. More than 30 members of the Senate and House staffs, as well as several top FCC officials, participated in the summit.

Highly esteemed speakers delivered three well-received and unique keynote addresses. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications & Information and Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Greg Rohde addressed the summit attendees Friday night, touching on various issues of interest to TIA members. These included government spectrum policies, the upcoming World Radio Conference (WRC-2000), and broadband communications initiatives such as efforts to narrow the "digital divide."

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