[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 125 (Thursday, September 18, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9690-S9691]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TELECOMMUNICATIONS SUMMIT

 Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, for many rural communities in my 
home State of New Mexico, the wonders and advantages of the 
telecommunications explosion--Internet, telecommuting, wireless 
communications--remain an unfulfilled promise. Yet, my recent 2-week 
trip throughout rural New Mexico showed me signs that the 
telecommunications revolution has begun to take hold in our State. As I 
continue to make rural economic development in New Mexico my top 
economic priority, through an innovative program that we call rural 
payday, full use of telecommunications will play a key role.
  Highlighting the relationship between the telecommunications 
revolution and rural economic development was a full-day 
Telecommunications Summit we organized in Albuquerque last month. 
Organized under the auspices of the Small Business Advocacy Council of 
New Mexico, which I established 3 years ago, this summit brought 
together more than 200 telecommunications professionals, businessmen, 
and scientists from throughout our State. Key to this summit was the 
help provided by personnel from Sandia National Laboratory, who 
generously gave of their time, immense talent, and expertise throughout 
the planning period of the summit and during the daylong event.
  What all of us learned from this summit can be summarized easily:
  First, for rural small business owners, intelligent and creative use 
of telecommunications can mean the difference between survival and 
failure;
  Second, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 will continue to play an 
unpredictable and major role as rural communities try to use 
telecommunications to solidify their economic futures;
  Third, the large telecommunications, Internet and wireless providers 
must do more to help rural communities try to use telecommunications to 
solidify their economic futures;
  Fourth, basic telecommunications infrastructure remains a serious 
obstacle to rural economic development in many areas;
  Fifth, potential for economic development using telecommunications is 
limited only by the users' imaginations;
  Sixth, the unique expertise of the national laboratories in New 
Mexico hold the potential to help spread economic development 
throughout our State and, by example, beyond the borders of our State.
  During my trip in August, I saw many examples of how 
telecommunications helps small businesses thrive. Let me give you two 
examples.

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  In Socorro, NM, Don Tripp of Tripp's Incorporated has expanded his 
operations by establishing a virtual call center for his sales 
associates. By capitalizing on advances in telecommunications, Tripp 
was able to provide many of his employees with the option of 
telecommuting. This approach has worked well and Tripp's Inc. has moved 
forward with a happier, more productive and flexible work force.
  An example of using the talents of the national laboratories to help 
foster rural economic development is the recently-developed New Mexico 
Arts Database in Santa Fe, NM. With the aid of Los Alamos National 
Laboratory, many New Mexico artists and artisans will soon be able to 
sell their art over the Internet. No longer will these artists be 
limited to traditional, and very expensive, outlets or by location. 
Their art will become accessible via the Internet to potential 
customers throughout the world.
  We hope to coordinate these and other innovative approaches to rural 
economic development through the Rural Payday, Inc., organization I 
mentioned earlier. This initiative will focus on attracting and 
encouraging telecommunications-related businesses, and businesses that 
can use telecommunications tools more innovatively, to New Mexico. Such 
businesses as 1-800 call centers, automatic data processing satellite 
offices, more traditional businesses that can expand into rural New 
Mexico using new communications tools, and telemedicine firms, to name 
a few, can become realities for small and rural New Mexico. If we get 
the cooperation of the major telecommunications firm in infrastructure 
and basic communications services, a serious problem that rural America 
must face, we can revive smalltown America. I was glad to see that the 
major telecommunications providers in our State were at least willing 
to meet with potential customers from rural areas and try to work out 
new approaches. More on this front needs to be done, and I pledge that 
I will push these major firms at every opportunity.
  The New Mexico Telecommunications Summit, the first of its kind in 
our State, opened a little window on the future. With more cooperation 
between users and providers of telecommunications services, and with 
the continued good work of our small business community and our 
national laboratories, New Mexico has the chance to create a thriving 
rural economy that will expand in the 21st century.
  I would like to recognize the many companies and individuals who made 
this event such a tremendous success. I would like to also thank every 
Small Business Advocacy Council member who took the time to attend and 
organize this conference. In addition, I thank especially Angela 
Atterbury and Paul Silverman for their tireless efforts in coordinating 
this event on behalf of the SBAC. And, Sandia and Los Alamos National 
Laboratories deserve credit for all their work at the Summit and the 
accompanying Business Applications Fair. Finally, thanks to the 
Internet, wireless and telecommunications providers who participated in 
this event. We need their help greatly in the future.

                          ____________________