Friday, 10/27/2006 Print Version |
Governor Announces Creation of California Broadband Task Force
VOLPI: Good morning, everyone. My name is Mike Volpi, and I’m the Senior Vice President of the Routing and Service Provider Group at Cisco. I want to begin by saying that at Cisco we are honored to be part of this visionary broadband announcement that the Governor is announcing this morning, particularly because we believe it crates an incredible environment for economic leadership and innovation in the state of California.
We think it’s particularly opportune now to talk about his broadband initiative because we truly are in the second phase, in the second coming of what the internet is, and this time it’s truly based on business principles rather than some of the bubble-like behavior that we saw in the internet of five years ago.
I also want to recognize the leadership of TechNet. Cisco was, obviously, a founder and a proud member of TechNet, and none of this would have been possible without the great leadership from that organization. I know that our chief executive officer, John Chambers, would have loved to be here today; unfortunately he’s not, but I am honored to be here in his stead.
And we do see that this announcement really brings a very bright future to all Californians. Technology is really changing and revolutionizing the way people live, learn and play in this state, and hopefully this state will represent leadership for all of America. We will change the way people are educated and the way people receive health care, and the way people have fun over their network infrastructures.
Governor Schwarzenegger, it’s clear that people call you the ‘action governor’ for a good reason. We believe that this is great action. In your remarks recently during the State of the State Address you spoke about how in California we need to build both physical highways and information highways, and it’s wonderful that we’re being true to our commitment from that perspective.
Today’s action represents how California is going to maintain and extend its technology leadership. California is, in fact, a model for the way technology and innovation lead in this country and around the world, and we believe that this broadband initiative is truly the foundation for achieving further leadership for this state and for the country.
Governor, I have to say I was a little nervous to introduce you today, so I did go to the gym and did a little workout this morning, and I feel good about myself.
GOVERNOR: We both did.
VOLPI: Oh, great. Well, I still don’t look like you, but okay.
GOVERNOR: That’s okay.
VOLPI: But it is my true honor to introduce the Governor of the great State of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
GOVERNOR: Thank you very much. (Applause)
Well, thank you very much for your introduction. And Mike, you’re doing a terrific job, and it’s great to be here today with all of you.
I just came from a conference on telemedicine where I saw a great example of how broadband can improve people’s lives. We have seen a doctor here in San Francisco examining one of the patients that is 100 miles away, and it’s done by video, and it is really extraordinary to see the using of broadband capabilities here. Technology like this is the future, and I always want California to lead the way. I mean, just of what we have seen -- this can save money, this save time, and this can save lives.
Standing with me here today are some of California’s best high tech CEOs, who understand the importance of spreading this high speed, high performance technologies in every corner of our state. I want to thank them for taking a leadership role in this very important issue. Broadband will help build California so we can grow our economy, create great jobs, and compete in the global marketplace.
As I’ve said earlier, we are number one in so many different things, if it is in biotechnology or stem cell research, or protecting our environment, creating jobs, or our university system. I think that we can be number one in also that field. California must remain competitive so that we can continue to attract the best, the brightest, and the most creative workforce in the world.
And that’s why later on today I will be signing an executive order that will help make California a leader in the telecommunication revolution. California is home to the greatest technology entrepreneurs, so let us show to the world what we can do.
Now I would like to introduce Milo Medin from the Broadband Network Company here in California to say a few words. Thank you very much. (Applause)
MR. MEDIN: Thank you, Governor. When TechNet did a study that ranked the states in terms of policies that affect broadband deployment, California came in 14 th. Some in the state didn’t think that that was all that bad, and didn’t see a problem. But Governor Schwarzenegger understood that being 14 th in broadband was unacceptable for a state where technology innovation is a core part of the state’s economy.
Today the Governor has acted once again to move the state forward in the pursuit of excellence, and help ensure that all Californians will reap the benefits of the broadband economy. The Governor’s executive order provides a strategic focus on broadband deployment for California, and makes law a number of practical measures that will increase competition, lower prices for consumers, and extend the reach of broadband to homes and businesses that are currently shut out of its benefits.
For example, the decision to deploy cheap conduit, basically empty pipe, in new state roadway projects during their construction phase will reduce the costs of deploying fiber along those routes by up to 90 percent. By limiting the need to later tear up the roadway, coordinate construction, and then repair the roadway again after laying fiber optic cable, instead, a communications carrier can simply pull fiber through the existing conduit, saving not only money but time, and avoiding the disruption to traffic that was caused by the construction.
This means the business case to deploy private capital to service more communities will be significantly improved, and the residents of these communities will enjoy the benefits of broadband competition, making state buildings available for siting wireless equipment, and working to streamline rights of way processing, are important for both incumbents and new entrants providing broadband services.
Those of us who have experience in building broadband networks welcome these changes, because we’ve all experienced time consuming processes that are not coordinated between agencies, leading to delays and higher costs that make it hard to do business in California. Companies like mine that seek to deliver advanced broadband services depend on innovation. And that’s why our company is based in California, and why we’re looking forward to hiring hundreds of new employees here. M2Z and others that are part of TechNet believe this order is an important step, and look forward to partnering with the Governor and his staff in its implementation. As a native Californian, I am especially proud today, because today I have a governor who shares Silicon Valley’s vision of what California could be, and is willing to act to make that vision a reality. Thank you again, Governor Schwarzenegger.
GOVERNOR: Thank you very much. Thank you. (Applause)
Thank you very much. And if you have any questions -- but before I get to that I just want to say that we are -- we have decided that the state will add 100,000 dollars to the reward of finding the arsonist of the Esperanza Fire. As you know, that the local community has put up 100,000 dollars; now the state is adding 100,000 dollars to that. And we want to let everyone know that we are searching for the arsonists, we will find them, and we will punish them. Thank you. Now, if you have any questions about what we have just done?
QUESTIONS/ANSWERS
Q: Governor, you talked about telemedicine today, and there has been some criticism that in the current race there has been very little discussion of health care among both you and Mr. Angelides. If you’re re-elected to a second term -- the Democrats, as you know, have pushed for single-payer. Is there a common ground here? What do you see as your first priorities, if you’re re-elected to a second term, on this important issue?
GOVERNOR: Well, first of all, let me just say that it is a very important issue, and it is on the front burner. It will be a part of my State of the State Address. We really want to solve this problem next year. As much as this year was the year of rebuilding California with the infrastructure, where we talked about that all year long and negotiated, and came together, Democrats and Republicans -- with that same spirit, we want to get together with both, bring both of the parties together, and find a solution. Because no one party will have the solution; only when both parties come together we will find a solution. And also, working together with the private sector and with the hospitals, with the labor leaders, with everyone; we have to bring everyone together, all the stakeholders.
And I think we can find a solution, because I think it’s really brewing. It’s one of those things that a few years ago no one talked much about it. But now, more and more people are concerned about health care, because we do have 6.7 million people, as you know, that are uninsured, and there is no reason for that. I mean, the only reason is because we haven’t figured out a way yet. But you know, there is a way of doing it, and so we just have to find that way, and I’m absolutely committed to that issue.
Any other questions? Thank you. Yes?
Q: Can you give us any sense of what your philosophical underpinning will be in terms of addressing the health care issue? Just any general sense of how you would approach it?
GOVERNOR: Well, I think, first of all, we need to bring everyone together. Second of all, we have to concentrate on, like we did in the summit this summer when we brought everyone together, where we realized very quickly that the major problem we have is the cost of health care. We’ve got to bring down the costs of healthcare. So this will be our number one challenge, because then it is easier to make it affordable for everyone, and also then to get health care coverage. So those are the things that we want to concentrate on.
What we don’t want to do is do the same old thing. You know, I’m getting regularly bills down to my office that are dealing with the same thing over and over, which is almost like socialized health care, or universal health care, that is run by government, or where you just take the same system and you throw more money at it. Then you expand the problem that is existing, because it’s a failing system that we have right now, and we don’t want to just throw more money at it to make this failing system even bigger.
So what we want to do is really get innovative, creative, and come up with something unique, out of the box. We can’t think in the box. We have to go outside. And I think Massachusetts has shown that it can be done, even though we haven’t seen it yet work, because it’s so new. But if they can do it, and they can bring everyone together, we sure can do it also.
Yes?
Q: I represent the Swedish and the Austrian news agency, by the way, and therefore I have a different kind of question. And that is, do you think your political success is largely an American or a Californian phenomenon, or could you have become the Chancellor of Austria, for example?
GOVERNOR: Well, first of all, let me tell you. One thing I learned; it doesn’t matter where you are; the important thing is that you bring people together. I think that’s the key thing, to make everyone be part of the solution, and to work, and to be able to compromise, and to have patience in order to move the agenda forward. Because I have learned this the hard way, you know, because I came into this job and I wanted to move as quickly as you do in the private sector, where you make decisions, where a bunch of people get together and make a decision, and then you move.
Here, in politics, it’s a little different. You have to recognize that there are 120 legislators you have to deal with. There are department heads, there are people outside that are stakeholders. They all want to participate, and then you want them to come on board and to be part of the solution. And then it’s a forum of communications, then you can move much more forward. Not as fast, but you can be much more successful this way.
And so I think no matter if you’re in Austria, or if y you’re in Germany, or if you’re anywhere in Europe or anywhere in the world, or here in California, I think that’s pretty much the case no matter where you go, is that kind of bipartisan effort. And what we are trying to do here in California -- and I just spoke, literally like a few minutes ago before I came here, to the Speaker, Speaker Núñez, and just a few days ago to Senator Perata also, and we were all talking about, you know, “Look how great what we have accomplished, and we should get together as soon as the election is over and really do the same thing for next year. Let us put some of those things together, if it’s health care, if it is prison reform, education reform, accountability, all of those things. Let’s put it down and let us work together on those things so we can accomplish it.” So I think there’s a good spirit, a good mood there, and I’m looking forward to that.
Q: (IA)
GOVERNOR: Pardon me?
Q: (IA) learn in Europe from that?
GOVERNOR: There’s no learning. I don’t want to be presumptuous and say, “This is the way to go.” I’m just saying I think that people will be looking at California, like yourself or others, and they will say, “Look what they have accomplished this year. This is really extraordinary.” And it’s election year. I always want to stress it’s election year, because normally in an election year not much gets done no matter which country you go to. But here we have done quite the opposite; we have accomplished more in an election year than last year or the year before. So I think it is a lesson to us, and probably a lesson to everyone else. Okay? Thank you very much.
One more question? Okay.
Q: (IA)
GOVERNOR: Say again?
Q: (IA) the Chancellor of Austria part?
GOVERNOR: I love California, and I am absolutely committed. I have been saying this all along, you know, that the day I moved here I was very adamant to become an American. As a matter of fact, I bought myself immediately, a few days after I got here, cowboy boots, because that represented America for a European. As you know, for us it’s the Wild West and cowboys; that’s America. So I bought myself cowboy boots and a cowboy poster and hung that on my wall at home -- which happened to be of Ronald Reagan, the poster -- so this is for me, this is my home, for me. But in my heart I always will be an Austrian, of course, also. Thank you very much. Thank you.
