A week of ICT-favorable votes and markups on the Hill was highlighted by the unanimous passage of H.R. 3678, the Internet Tax Freedom Act of 2007, sponsored by Representatives John Conyers (D-Mich.), Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), Chris Cannon (R-Utah) and Rick Boucher (D-Va.). The House moved rapidly to pass the latest version of the bill, with amendments passed by the Senate last week, by a vote of 402-0. The bill would extend the soon-to-expire moratorium on Internet access taxes and multiple or discriminatory taxes on online transactions through November 2014. 

TIA urged President Bush to sign the bill into law in advance of the current moratorium's November 1 expiration date. Sustaining the moratorium would protect access to the Internet as well as the growth of innovative technology in the ICT sector. Such technology is the engine of the American economy and will help keep Internet access within reach of the American public. In a time when the government is busy formulating the best methods for deploying broadband, a strong disincentive to network investment like an Internet access tax could undo a decade of positive trends.

Meanwhile, TIA applauded the House Energy and Commerce Committee in reporting out H.R. 3919, the Broadband Census of America Act of 2007. The bill, which will not only provide for the collection and dissemination of information about our nation’s broadband infrastructure but provide consumers with an opportunity to be more aware of their choices, was sponsored by Telecom and Internet Subcommittee Chairman Ed Markey (D-Mass.). The bill was resubmitted with some additional language that resulted in unanimous support from the committe.  TIA looks forward to working with the committee to ensure swift passage on the House floor.

In the Senate, S. 1853, the Community Broadband Act of 2007, was reported out of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation without amendment. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), preserves local governments' ability to provide broadband capability and services. It specifically prohibits any state or local government from stopping any public provider from providing advanced telecommunications capability, or services using "advanced telecommunications capability" – broadband – and keeps the door open for community deployment and local choice. TIA will continue to work to see the Community Broadband Act of 2007 passed on the Senate floor.

TIA continues to monitor this and other legislation currently pending in Congress. This successful week is only one step toward the goal of ubiquitous broadband, wireless and connectivity for all Americans.

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TIA Director of International & Government Affairs Mike Nunes testified this week before the International Trade Commission (ITC) as part three of the ITC's three-part investigation to provide an assessment to the House Ways and Means Committee on U.S. trade with China. Nunes presented issues important to the ICT industry, both in direct testimony and under questioning from the commissioners. 

China is the sixth largest export market for U.S. telecommunications equipment, consuming $826 million annually in such products, chiefly component parts, apparati and fiber, while China exported about $18 billion in such products, chiefly finished cell phones, to the United States last year. The whopping U.S. telecom equipment trade imbalance with China, approximately $17.3 billion in 2006, is indicative of the overall U.S.-China trade relationship, Nunes said, where the total deficit in U.S. trade with China is approaching $164 billion in the first eight months of 2007. However, he added, the U.S. telecom equipment trade relationship with China is complex and deserves to be examined with a view to the overall technology market in China, much of which is comprised of U.S. and other foreign technology companies that are directly invested in the market.

Nunes's testimony addressed the various market opportunities and impediments to U.S. trade in China, including the exciting increase in Chinese demand for foreign ICT products and threatening "indigenous innovation" policy that may shut U.S. companies out of government procurement in China.

The hearing stemmed from a request by the Committee on Ways and Means of the U.S. House of Representatives that the ITC prepare a series of three reports under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 332(g)) on U.S.-China trade.  The current study was instituted by the ITC for the second report, No. 332-491, on the effects of U.S.-China trade on specific sectors of the economy.

TIA will continue to be available to ITC staff as the study progresses.

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This week, the General Services Administration is hosting IDEAS 2007, its annual conference on Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center on Mount Vernon Place. TIA Regulatory & Government Affairs Manager Becky Schwartz will moderate a panel on November 1, 1:45 p.m.-2:45 p.m., on technology for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. 

During this session, Schwartz will lead a discussion on which technology solutions are available for procurement purposes and the cost related to providing these solutions, as well as the security and privacy aspects of each.  Panelists will include Jim House, Public Relations and Resource Development Officer, Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; Karl Ewan, Agency Liaison for Federal Relay, Sprint; and Michael Young, CAPTEC Manager, Department of Defense Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program.

For more information on TIA's involvement with IDEAS 2007, please contact Ian Martinez at imartinez@tiaonline.org or +1.703.907.7723.

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Last Thursday a coalition of high-tech industry representatives held a bicameral Congressional staff briefing on the value to U.S. industry of the four Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) currently before Congress. The briefing, which followed one earlier this fall on the House side, was attended heavily by Senate staff, a smattering of House staff, and industry experts and staff.  While all four FTAs were discussed, including in a question-and-answer session after the main discussion panel, Peru, likely up first for vote, was the main focus. 

Speakers from AeA, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Nortel each explained the various benefits of the agreements, following Acting Undersecretary of Commerce, Iternational Trade Agency, Christopher Padilla's comments about major advantages to U.S. consumers, workers and business inherent to the pacts.  Padilla said Peru's trade with the United States is already "free trade," inasmuch as the Andean nation can already export goods here virtually duty-free, while U.S. manufacturers face tariffs and other barriers to Peru's market. The Peru FTA would remedy that, as agreements with Panama and Colombia would with their respective countries.

Other speakers stressed the value of engaging foreign markets in a highly competitive global economy in which Europe and Asia already have, or will soon have, their own version of FTAs in place. China in particular has been very aggressive in those markets, and opportunities for investment in the Latin American markets are poised to skyrocket.

For more information on TIA's advocacy for FTAs worldwide, please contact Mike Nunes at +1.703.907.7725 or mnunes@tiaonline.org.

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The Telecommunications and Electronic and Information Technology Advisory Committee (TEITAC) is expected to post the draft of the full committee’s report on its Web site by October 26, 2007. Technology procured by the federal government and telecommunications equipment must be accessible to persons with disabilities according to federal law, and TEITAC, a temporary federal advisory committee, has spent the past year reviewing and updating accessibility standards under these laws.

Each of the eight subcommittees provides recommendations to the full committee on the standards relevant to its jurisdiction.  TIA is represented on the Telecommunications Subcommittee by Mary Brooner, Motorola.  The Telecommunications Subcommittee’s recommendations address topics such as real-time text (RTT) reliability and interoperability, volume control, hearing aid compatibility, interactive voice response (IVR) and video support.

After the posting of the report on October 26, the Editorial Working Group will finalize the wording and post the final report online on November 27, 2007. 

For more information please visit www.teitac.org or contact Becky Schwartz at +1.703.907.7477 or rschwartz@tiaonline.org.

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The World Radio Conference (WRC), held every three to five years by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), begins this week in Geneva and will continue until November 16. The WRC will meet for the first time since 2003 to discuss a wide array of issues related to the tech and telecom industries.

While there are a number of issues on the WRC agenda, TIA is following two policy issues in particular: Resolution 1.4 and Resolution 1.9.  Resolution 1.4 will consider frequency matters for the future development of International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) (including IMT-2000 and IMT-Beyond), the global standard for 3G and 4G wireless communications as defined by the ITU; and Resolution 1.9 will review the operational efficiency of terrestrial and satellite co-sharing of the 2.5 GHz to 2.69 GHz band.

International issues raised at the WRC, and the ITU more generally, remain very important to TIA, and the association will continue to make them a priority.

For questions or comments about the WRC or other upcoming ITU events and issues, please contact Michael Nunes at +1.703.907.7725 or mnunes@tiaonline.org.

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