ASPEN, Colorado -- The same plodding US government bureaucracy that has two agencies inspecting the quality of frozen pizzas is preventing Internet users from enjoying a future full of videoconferencing, movies on demand, and other nifty high-speed digital benefits.
The government is neither equipped nor prepared to introduce broadband to the masses, and "that's particularly bad when moving on Internet time," said Bell Atlantic CEO Ivan Seidenberg.
And so began the annual Cyberspace and the American Dream VII, as Seidenberg preached the wonders of wireless during his keynote address Monday morning.
"We do need a better model for the regulation of data and broadband investments. And we have one: wireless," Seidenberg said at this intimate two-day conference at the swanky St. Regis Hotel at the foot of Aspen Mountain.
According to Seidenberg, wireless is the logical regulation model that would clear the way for the country's telecommunications companies to quickly install and deliver the promising broadband future.
After all, he said, it was limited government regulation -- confined strictly to federal and not state legislation -- that permitted the cellular phone industry to provide more capacity, more competitors, more services, and lower prices to customers.
If the telcos and Baby Bells were regulated in a similar way, they'd be more inclined to invest in a broadband infrastructure, Seidenberg said.
"Most importantly it worked.... We can do this," he said.
Only about 5 percent of online users have broadband access, but Seidenberg cited a report from analyst firm Lucas Graves that said users will migrate from narrowband to broadband by as much as 5 percent each year with the right pricing and service conditions.
And, he said, only broadband can unleash the Web's true potential.
"Videoconferencing and streaming media will become a common reality. Small audio files and video files can be embedded in Web sites," he said, adding that the real benefits would come in greater access to expert health care and real-time interaction among nations.
Seidenberg said the FCC has actually proposed a restructuring plan similar to the wireless model's regulatory framework, but argues that the timeline for implementation is too long.
"The problem is that it's a five-year plan. We need a five-week plan."
The summit, catering to network industry leaders, is one of a handful of low-key conferences devoted to public policy in the digital age. Industry heavyweights attending the Aspen meeting include Seidenberg, Sol Trujillo, US West's CEO and chairman, and Leo Hindery Jr., president of AT&T's broadband and Internet services.
