FC: Dave Farber's Washington Diary

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

*********

> Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 19:41:22 -0400
> To: ip-sub-1 () majordomo pobox com
> From: Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>
> Subject: IP: Washington Diary #2
>
> I promised that I would generate a set of notes relating my pilgrimage to 
> the center of the Universe -- Washington DC (Washington is as bad as 
> Boston/Cambridge in that belief). We have been here three months and we 
> are beginning to feel like "old timers". I find myself helping tourists on 
> the Metro etc.
>
> Washington is an interesting but in some ways a strange place. The 
> cultural activities are excellent -- almost up to NYC. The Kennedy Center, 
> 3 blocks from our apartment, has a good set of performances and even a 
> good cafeteria. We are surrounded by museums and embassies all of which 
> offer exhibitions, performances etc and many if not most free. Eating out 
> in DC is very good and we do a lot of that. We are three blocks from 
> Georgetown and three from the Dupont Circle/19 th street crowd of places. 
> (still looking for a good Chinese in downtown).  Last weekend we went to 
> Old Town in Alexandria for a Greek Easter dinner (yes I know Greek Easter 
> is this coming Sunday but they hold their special dinner two times -- one 
> for each Easter). It was very very good -- music, dancing etc.
>
> Strange part -- the streets are torn up as fiber is laid all over and no 
> one ever repaves the mess; construction is everywhere and there are few if 
> any rules on closing of lanes and sidewalks  I have yet to find a decent 
> computer store in the central DC area or reachable via the Metro.
>
> As to my professional life. I have been at the FCC for three months now, 
> much of that time was spent getting a feel for the way policy is made, 
> understanding the complex structure of the industry this place regulates, 
> understanding the way rules are made and the way the Commissioners 
> operate, educating in the Internet area , giving talks, TV programs, radio 
> interviews . It is now time to engage specific efforts. They will most 
> likely focus on issues relating to Broad Band Access (like openness issues 
> etc); IP Telephony and wireless. More as it progresses.
>
> I am, on the average, very impressed with the staff at the FCC. As I have 
> said before, they do what they believe is best for the country recognizing 
> that they are dealing with powerful industrial players who often run to 
> the Hill and the courts for protection if they are pushed too 
> hard.  Somehow I think getting the Congress involved in what are on the 
> surface technical issues will backfire when regulation issues end up being 
> fought with lobbyists.
>
> As to the FCC. I was surprised by the small number of people who are 
> technologists. In specific I was shocked to see that on the "8 th floor" 
> (which is really the 10 th floor of the building) there are essentially no 
> technical people on the staff of the Commissioners even though in practice 
> that is where the actually discussions that end up setting a Commissioners 
> vote is set (in the 70s there were 7 Commissioners and each had an 
> engineering assistant (by law)
> ). If I had one concrete suggestion I would mandate a Personal Technical 
> Advisor to each Commissioner as they have a Legal and Economic Advisor. 
> How they can make informed decisions in this rapidly evolving technology 
> business with out that astonishes me.
>
> More as my understanding of this culture evolves. If you are in DC, give a 
> yell and lets meet in meatspace.
>
> Dave


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