TDI Presentation by FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps
Mr. Copps noted that this is his first speech as an FCC Commissioner.
He believes that communications is hugely important, and that the
communications revolution we've witnessed in the past century is nothing
in comparison to what we'll see in the next century.
He believes that the FCC needs to represent the public interest,
including the "non-traditional" portions of it, that our
strength is our diversity, and that we progress together or we don't
progress at all. We need to learn how to harness that diversity to move
ahead.
This audience [Ed: the TDI convention] includes many leaders and
advocates for the disability community, people who led the way for ADA,
Section 255 of Telecommunications Act, and other legislation. These
folks have been active participants in much of the FCC business.
We will have new challenges driven by technology. The New Economy is
rocketing us into cyberspace.
Great changes bring opportunity and challenges. For this particular
audience, there is concern that the advancing technology may result in a
loss of the progress we've made over the years. But Mr. Copp thinks it
will expand the opportunities for all of us. We need to insist on PANS
(Pretty Awesome New Stuff) as well as POTS (Plain Old Telephone
Service).
Remember the invention of the telephone. That soon caused the rural
areas to be left behind, to have reduced opportunities compared to the
urban dwellers. Teddy Roosevelt was instrumental in recognizing the
situation and ensuring access to all Americans. Mr. Copp's goal is to
bring the best access to ALL Americans. In this modern age, it is not
much of an exaggeration to say that telecommunications is a civil right.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Telecommunications Act
of 1996 require that people with disabilities have access to equivalent
telecommunications services.
The recent FCC did many good things; they implemented new TRS rules
(including 711) and captioning regulations (including access to
emergency information). Our goal is to build on those accomplishments.
Mr. Copp's To Do List:
1a. Follow thru on past efforts - e.g., look at IP based relay service;
mount an educational campaign to inform Americans about TRS. In October
of this year, the FCC will hold a Public Forum on TRS to explain the
technology and have an open mic session, so users can explain what needs
to be done. They will also have exhibits to inform people about new
technology. Mr. Copp encouraged audience members to attend, to bring
their community leaders, and invite their congressman to go.
1b. Work with industry to publicize the availability of 711.
2, Continue to communicate on the full range of important
telecommunications issues, including ownership, concentration, and
spectrum use.
The Commission's Consumer Rights Information Bureau provides
information on telecommunications issues. The Disability Communications
Advisory Committee was established to provide input on these issues. The
FCC relies heavily on Advisory Committees, and Mr. Copp plans to meet
with them soon.
3. Build Public/Private sector partnerships. Business provides the
innovation. Incorporating accessibility in the design makes good sense.
A few months ago, over 40 corporate CEOs pledged to provide
accessibility. Mr. Copp is a true believer in this kind of cooperation.
Neither sector alone can do much.
4. The government needs to get its own house in order with respect to
providing access. It needs to make its websites accessible, and the FCC
needs to respond more quickly.
Mr. Copp noted that his son is dating a woman who is working with the
hearing loss community. It seems that she has made quite an impression
on the commissioner, and he applauds her for making a difference as one
individual in her daily life.
We all need to do our part to ensure that folks with disabilities are
not left behind. The public is becoming increasingly aware of the
necessity for this - especially the younger folks.
Q: We appreciate your open mind on disability issues. Most people in
the US are still unaware of relay services. How does the FCC intend to
address that?
A. We have made outreach a priority. We have that event in Washington in
October. No one can do alone. Bring folks with you. Politics is a game
of addition! It's a marathon, not a 100-yard dash.
Q: Related to 711, what about some of the office phone systems, where
you can't dial 711?
A: I think there is good news and bad news. We're off and running. But
the bad news is that some systems aren't compatible. Deploying a new
system is a challenge. But we're working with industry to get over the
hurdles and complete that transition.
Q: October 10, 2001 - the public forum. How do we get Congress to
attend?
A: I'm not lobbying here. It's against the law for me to lobby Congress.
But Congress needs to know what the challenges are. You can write a
letter and say that you're going to Washington, and you would like your
Congressperson to participate in this event and the larger movement that
is crucial to America's progress. Then get in touch with the local media
and get them involved.
Q: My question is about the content of the Forum.
A: We are having a meeting about the Telecommunications Relay Service,
and we need to have our legislators learn about this program.
Q: What will you do about establishing captioning in the movie
theaters all over the country? What can the FCC do about that?
A: I don't think there's much we can do about movie theaters. But this
is one of the many areas where we can use the FCC to encourage that kind
of accommodation.
Q: With the NAD, we hear from people who continue to have problems
with TV captioning. The FCC has rules about this. What does the FCC
intend to do about enforcement?
A: There have been comments that the complaint process isn't working, so
the first thing we need to do is to fix that process. If the rules
aren't what they need to be, we need to fix that. But I will look into
that.
Q: There are rumors about the FCC reorganizing to reflect the new
chairman's philosophy. How does that impact the future of the DRO?
A: It could impact the organization. With the rapid change in
telecommunications, the FCC may have to reorganize to accommodate the
area we're trying to monitor. Reorganization will be an ongoing process
to accommodate that. To have a wholesale reorganization, there needs to
be at least a notification to Congress. Chairman Powell is thinking in
terms of making the organization more responsive. But I think he wants
to work with the Commissioners, so we need to be sure that the
priorities that we have built over the last few years persevere. I'm
committed to that and I hope all the commissioners are.
Q: I know lots of groups are fighting for your attention. What advice
can you give us to make sure that our efforts influence the FCC?
A: More of the same. Do outreach. Tell your story. Get media attention
for events like this and the Public Forum. Local media are hugely
important.
Q: Reallocation of frequencies 216-217 MHz. Many of us participated
in that comment period. Do you recommend that we do more on that?
A: I think until the procedure is finished, you have to continue to
reach out. In the months and years ahead, spectrum issues will he a high
priority! Demand for spectrum is much greater than supply, so there will
have to be some compromises. So there will be lots of competition for
it.
Q: Regarding the FCC and the internet. There are restrictions on IM.
What is the FCC's involvement in that?
A: The internet and the FCC is a sensitive area. We have tried to keep
hands off the internet. But with the convergence of technologies, we
need to take a hard look at this over the next few years. Where we have
vastly different rules for similar technologies, we need to get those in
accordance. Congress will have to take the lead on this. We enforce
laws, but we can't make them.
Q: The FCC can have difficulty recruiting and retaining engineers due
to the disparity in salaries between private industry and the
government. This causes problems when negotiating with industry. What do
you intend to do about that?
A: Making sure that the FCC has the best and brightest is critically
important. I have heard that there are problems, but I haven't had a
chance to look at it. The situation is similar with lawyers, but we have
great talent in lawyers. I hope our engineers don't think that they
don't have input. I don't think we can expect people to stay with the
FCC forever, so we need to accommodate that. I think Chairman Powell is
well aware of that, and I think he will act on it.
