[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 147 (Tuesday, November 29, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: November 29, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                CAUTION ON THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY

                                 ______


                            HON. J.J. PICKLE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 29, 1994

  Mr. PICKLE. Mr. Speaker, the new administration under President 
Clinton and Vice President Gore have heralded the new age in 
communications technology with its proposal to create the Global 
Information Superhighway [GIS]. The GIS has been greeted with great 
enthusiasm and will hopefully lead to greater ties between industrial 
and developing countries.
  However, as Leonard Marks points out in his article ``Detours Along 
the Information Highway,'' published in the Washington Times on October 
16, 1994, there are serious detours and potholes that must be overcome. 
Two-thirds of the world's population have no access to the telephone 
service--plain old telephone. Such a statistic raises serious questions 
about the fulfillment of the lofty goals of the global highway's 
promoters.
  Mr. Marks has a long and distinguished background in the field of 
communications. He served as Director of the U.S. Information Agency 
under President Lyndon B. Johnson and chairman of the first 
International Conference on Communications Satellites, which was 
responsible for INTELSAT. Most recently, Mr. Marks has been chairman of 
the Department of State Advisory Committee on International 
Communications and Information Policy.
  I commend to my colleagues the following article about this most very 
important subject:

                 Detours Along the Information Highway

       Travelers beware! If you are planning to use the Global 
     Information Superhighway (GIS), be prepared for potholes, 
     barriers and detours.
       When Vice President Albert Gore announced the Clinton 
     Administration's plans for this project, his remarks were 
     acclaimed by a world conference in Buenos Aires. The 
     headlines featured the opportunities for world 
     communications, but made no mention of the formidable 
     obstacles that lay ahead.
       The vice president's speech heralded a new age pointing out 
     that:
       ``Telecommunications is an essential component of 
     political, economic, social and cultural development. It 
     fuels the global information society and economy which is 
     rapidly transforming local, national and international life 
     and, despite physical boundaries, is promoting better 
     understanding between peoples.''
       While the Western world routinely enjoys direct dialing, 
     receives faxes and television programs from remote points of 
     the globe and looks forward to computer hookups via INTERNET 
     and other whiz kids' inventions, the developing world yearns 
     for a Plain Old Telephone (POT). When the telephone is 
     installed, they pray daily that there will be a dial tone and 
     that the receiver on the other end will be in service. Here 
     are the grim facts:
       Two-thirds of the world's population have no access to 
     telephone service.
       Over one-half of the world's population live in countries 
     with less than one telephone for every 100 people.
       Three-fourths of the world's population live in countries 
     with 10 or fewer telephones for every 100 people.
       Low-income countries have less than a 5 percent share of 
     global telephone lines but have 55 percent of the world's 
     population.
       When the International Telecommunications Union reviewed 
     this issue 10 years ago, it commented:
       ``While telecommunications is taken for granted as a key 
     factor * * * in industrialized countries and as an engine of 
     growth, in most developing countries the telecommunications 
     system is not adequate even to sustain essential services. In 
     many areas, there is no system at all.''
       As a goal, they proposed that by the year 2000, all mankind 
     should be within easy reach of a telephone--i.e., within 
     walking distance.
       Efforts are being made to remove these barriers. However, 
     the financial outlays would be enormous. The World Bank has 
     estimated that $40 billion a year will be needed in the five-
     year period from 1995-99 to build the networks in developing 
     countries to meet international standards. In addition, some 
     $10-15 billion needs to be spent to modernize the networks in 
     Eastern Europe. This would amount to a grand total of $250 
     billion which is four times the level of spending of the 
     1970's and three times the level of the 1980's--needless to 
     say, a formidable barrier.
       Even though telecommunications operations have been very 
     profitable and have shown returns on capital of 10-20 
     percent, telecommunications entities often have difficulty 
     finding investment capital. Investors have been discouraged 
     by management ineptness in many developing countries, 
     compounded by glaring problems in procurement. One horrible 
     example in West Africa disclosed a cost of $20,000 to add one 
     extra telephone line for reasons which the ITU says are 
     ``unclear.'' These factors make a $250 billion investment for 
     new construction more than a pothole.
       International travelers are aware of the existing telecom 
     barriers throughout the developing world. Telephones are 
     usually out of order and take a long time to repair. Even 
     when the telephone does work, difficulties are encountered 
     because of the shortage of equipment and inadequate 
     maintenance. In peak periods, this situation becomes critical 
     and frequently more than half of the calls fail to connect. 
     Recognizing this problem, sophisticated users, when they are 
     successful in getting a line connection, keep it open all day 
     even though they may use it only sporadically; denying 
     everyone else the opportunity to communicate. During peak 
     periods, all too frequently it becomes impossible to call 
     anywhere.
       In addition to these technological potholes which could be 
     cured, formidable man-made obstacles still exist because of 
     political or social differences. As an example, for years the 
     neighboring states of Israel and Jordan would not allow the 
     use of existing telephone lines to connect these two points. 
     When they diplomatically shook hands, they removed these 
     ``obstacles'' and today, direct telephone communication is 
     possible. However, in many parts of the world areas are 
     isolated because of political and social differences.
       Advocates for the GIS proclaim the wonders of satellites, 
     fiber optics, data networks, cellular phones, interactive 
     video and the miracles of the computer age. Their enthusiasm 
     is justified but should be confined to a small part of the 
     globe--the U.S., Western Europe, Japan and pockets of 
     industrial growth. Two-thirds of the world's population--the 
     telecom ``have nots''--will continue to read about these 
     developments while they yearn for the good old POT.

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