12/12/1997 09:07 AM House TEL

    HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS                              
                  December 12, 1997                                            
                      9:07 a.m.                                                
                  Anchorage, Alaska                                            
                                                                               
                                                                               
(Note:  This meeting is a continuation of the December 11, 1997,               
        meeting)                                                               
                                                                               
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                             
                                                                               
STATUS OF THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY IN ALASKA                            
                                                                               
TAPE(S)                                                                        
                                                                               
97-4, SIDE(S) B                                                                
97-5, SIDE(S) A & B                                                            
97-6, SIDE(S) A & B                                                            
                                                                               
CALL TO ORDER                                                                  
                                                                               
Representative Porter, Chairman, reconvened the House Special                  
Committee on Telecommunications meeting at 9:07 a.m.                           
                                                                               
PRESENT                                                                        
                                                                               
Committee members present at the call to order were                            
Representatives Porter, Berkowitz and James.  Representative Ivan              
was attending via teleconference.  Another House member present                
was Representative Kemplen.                                                    
                                                                               
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                         
                                                                               
JACK RHYNER, Tel Alaska, conveyed that competition may not be in               
the public interest in the rural high cost areas.                              
                                                                               
JIMMY JACKSON, GCI, announced GCI's eagerness to pursue                        
competition but related difficulties in dealing with competitors.              
                                                                               
JAMES ROWE, Alaska Telephone Association, presented a counter                  
view of competition.                                                           
                                                                               
H. A. "RED" BOUCHER, H. A. Boucher & Assoc., asserted that the                 
Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 has thrown providers into               
a turmoil.                                                                     
                                                                               
BOB MEDINGER, Lower Kuskokwim School District, voiced concerns of              
consumers from the rural world.                                                
                                                                               
REBECCA GRANDUSKY, Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corp., stressed the                  
importance of telecommunications for health services in the rural              
communities.                                                                   
                                                                               
CURT MADISON, Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corp., orated on                          
telemedicine in the Delta.                                                     
                                                                               
MARTIN LEONARD, Distance Delivery Consortium, is devoted to                    
bringing the cost-effective telecommunications infrastructure to               
the rural communities of the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta.                            
                                                                               
SAM COTTEN, Alaska Public Utilities Commission (APUC), made                    
himself available for questions.                                               
                                                                               
ROBERT LOHR, APUC, summarized the commission's progress in                     
carrying out its responsibilities under the Federal                            
Telecommunications Act of 1996.                                                
                                                                               
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                               
                                                                               
The committee took no action.                                                  
                                                                               
ADJOURNMENT                                                                    
                                                                               
The meeting was adjourned at 12:45 p.m.                                        
                                                                               
NOTE:                                                                          
                                                                               
This meeting was recorded and handwritten log notes were taken.                
A copy of the tapes and log notes may be obtained by contacting                
the House Records Office at 130 Seward Street, Suite 211, Juneau,              
Alaska, 99801-1182, (907) 465-2214, or after adjournment of the                
second session of the Twentieth Alaska State Legislature, in the               
Legislative Reference Library.