Do you ever read in the pages of Network World or another publication about some controversy in the telecom or Internet industries and say to yourself: "Why is it always one group of vendors arguing with another group? Why isn't the user voice represented?"
I'll try to explain.
Historically there have been three independent associations for corporate users of carrier services. Time has not been kind to this trio. One is the Communications Managers Association, which represents corporate users in the Northeast but recently had to cancel its annual conference due to low booth sales. Another is the Telecommunications Association, a group in the Western states that seems to have dropped out of sight.
Yet first among equals was always the International Communications Association (ICA). That's partly because of its national membership but also because it's the only one to stay involved in the Washington political scene. Over the years, ICA and its talented Washington counsel, Brian Moir, have scored many victories, such as keeping telecom bill surcharges for business users from flying even more out of control than they already have.
But there's an old-fashioned feel about all these groups that seems to derive from their heritage representing voice telecom managers. It's particularly obvious in the case of ICA, which flogs the same tired issues over and over again.
Moir made his mark joining consumer groups in support of long-distance carriers' demands on Bell companies to lower their access rates, which has the effect of lowering long-distance tolls. Over the years, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission has implemented some fairly successful policies to do that.
But no matter how far rates decline, ICA is ready with yet another FCC petition demanding that the Bells do more to reduce intercarrier fees. Often these documents read as if ICA still thinks it's 1984, and the regional Bell operating companies have just been split off from AT&T Corp. and long-distance phone calls cost 30 cents per minute.
But it's the year 2000 and some large business users are down near 3 cents per minute and are cutting deals for sub-$200 T-1 access lines. Of course ICA should press to broaden these gains. But what does the group have to say about taxes on e-commerce? Internet security? IP address and domain name management? Changing regulations on software licensing? Collocation and peering issues? Carrier mergers and Internet spinoffs? Demands that SBC Communications Inc. let competitors into its DSL remote terminals? Or that AT&T let ISPs onto its cable network?
ICA's failure to take more than a cursory role in these debates carries risks that are painfully obvious when you go to the group's Web site at www.icanet.com and click on "Discussion Web." Somebody posted a request for member discussion of policy issues on April 13. I'll let you see what kind of response the request has had. The lesson may be a clich, but it's clear: It's time for the telecom user groups to enter the Internet age.
Rohde is managing editor of The Edge section of Network World. He can be reached at drohde@nww.com.