Dennis Nagel, Chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board and President of NARUC, provided the initial closing remarks. He opined that any federal preemption of the states in removing entry barriers should recognize, first, the ability of states to address special circumstances in their jurisdictions, and, second, their need for sufficient time to meet new standards. Alternative preemption models include Commissioner Miller's PURPA standards approach; Rep. Fields' joint board on universal service; and a proposal by Chairman Nagel to draw on the Cable Reregulation Act, such that no exclusive franchises could be assigned and unreasonable local requirements could be appealed. Nagel also urged the Administration to begin taking steps in conjunction with a procompetitive policy to make sure that rural America does not become an information "have not." Finally, he proposed two steps for the Administration: (1) to convene working groups of federal, state, and local officials to develop a more efficient allocation of regulatory responsibilities; and (2) to provide adequate funding for the FCC and NTIA to implement needed policies.
Assistant Secretary Irving concluded the day's activities by thanking all who helped to organize the conference and those who participated. He observed that it is important for government policymakers to "get out of the way of industry" and to promote competition, but also to remember to protect the consumer. Mr. Irving specifically invited NARUC, NATOA, National Association of Counties (NACO), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), and others to send lists of people who would like to serve on working groups, and also stressed the usefulness of meeting in larger groups such as this one. Noting the fast track that Congressional legislation is following, he recognized the importance of having these dialogues soon to reach some form of consensus regarding the various roles of federal, state, and local regulators. The series of NTIA hearings on universal service/access represent other opportunities for needed dialogues, beginning in Albuquerque on December 16, 1993. In addition, it would be useful for NTIA and NARUC's universal service working group to communicate and, where possible, to coordinate.
Rapporteur:
Jim McConnaughey
National Telecommunications and Information Administration