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CEGI 3.1: California Information Infrastructure Pathfinder

This guide offers starting points for interested members of the general public to learn about the California Information Infrastructure: physical and virtual networks, strategic plans for creating infrastructure and managing information, information policy as it concerns public information and technology, and scrutiny of the above--both official review and popular criticism.

The California Information Infrastructure is broad, deep and yet nebulous. In a state with 31,878,234 people (7/1/96 estimate) and a gross product of $800 billion (in 1993), one would expect an expansive array of communications channels. But California is also the home of Silicon Valley, arguably the most important computer industry research and development community, as well as home to several of thenation's great universities. There is a lot of experimenation and change in the CII, but I couldn't find the right resource to understand the big picture. This pathfinder is organized in five sections, respresented by five of the circles in the adjacent imagemap. I have created these divisions for the sake of convenience, although the entries don't always fit neatly into their pigeonholes. C'est la vie!

This, even more than the rest of the CEGI site, is a work in progress. This is just a first draft. Check these citations and their organization--don't take my word for it quite yet. I'll always welcome your comments, but here I need your input: What do you want to see here? What am I doing right and wrong?

One good place to start is with David Bank's The Road Ahead, a guide to the applications and companies that are shaping the state's information infrastructure. This series of newspaper articles appeared in the San Jose Mercury News December 4 - 6, 1994, and has been made into a web page in Santa Rosa.

I. Networks: Physical & Virtual

Yahoo has a Network Topology page; however, all the relevant links are included on this page: http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/Network_Topology/

• Federal or National

  Although the focus of this pathfinder is California, information networks overlap geopolitical boundaries.

  • vBNS [very high speed Backbone Network Service: http://www.vbns.net/; (MCI Gov't Systems & National Science Foundation); Network Map: http://www.vbns.net/logical_map.html]

  • Internet II: http://rs.internic.net/scout/toolkit/future/notes/ref/in2general.html

• State or State-wide

  • Info/California (InfoCal) [Kiosks developed by the Health and Welfare Agency Data Center. Not to be confused with the UC Berkeley Infocal Campus-Wide Information System. For a description and some analysis of InfoCal, see Riley, Thomas B. (1993). Living in the electronic village: The impact of information technology in a changing world, Phase I. [Online]. Available: http://www.rileyis.com/publications/phase1/contents.htm (From the The United States of America section, use 'Find' to locate an it model for the delivery of services). Also, see Legislative Analyst's budget analysis, below.]

  • CALNET [California Integrated Telecommunications Network, run by the California Department of General Services. For background on CALNET, see Bowen, below. Also, see Legislative Analyst's budget analysis, below.]

• Regional & Local Government & other Regional Networks

  Regional networks can include educational, government, commercial and non-profit members--that's why they get their own category. The CEGI Regional List (http://www.cpsr.org/cpsr/states/california/regional.html) points to the web pages of regional networks, many of which include units of government.

  • BAGNet [Bay Area Gigabit Testbed, disbanded 5/96; http://george.lbl.gov/BAGNet.html; BAGNet Map:http://http.icsi.berkeley.edu/BAGNet/gif/bagnet-map.gif]

  • Los Nettos [http://www.isi.edu/div7/ln Network Map, http://www.isi.edu/div7/ln/images/ln-map.gif

• Academic/Educational

  • C³Net ["A collaborative venture and service of the California State University and the Community Colleges of California" to internetwork the community colleges and connect them to CSUnet; http://www.csu.net/c3net/]

  • CSUnet [California State University Network, http://www.csu.net/]

  • GSEN [Golden State Educational Network, proposed 1992? GSEN Report: http://goldmine.cde.ca.gov/ftpbranch/retdiv/technology/K-12/GSEN/GSEN_Report_1_ToC.html]

  • I3LA [(Monterey) Initiative for Information Infrastructure and Linking Applications, http://www.santacruz.k12.ca.us/~erugh/i3la.html; Network Map http://www.santacruz.k12.ca.us/~erugh/mbay.gif, For a description of I3LA, see:
    Born, Roger L. (1995). Monterey initiative for information infrastructure and linking applications. Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science [Online], 21:4. Available: http://www.asis.org/Bulletin/Apr-95/born.html]

  • UCnet [University of California Network; Network Information Server (NIS): http://noc.ucop.edu/; UCnet Diagram 7/16/96: http://noc.ucop.edu/diagrams/ucnetnor.gif, MBONE Tunnels Within UC 10/11/96: http://noc.ucop.edu/diagrams/ucmbone.gif]

• Private Nonprofit

  • ANSnet (Advanced Network Services): http://www.ans.net/ [Network Map (October 1996): http://www.ans.net/ANS/ANSnet.html]

• Commercial

  To find the web pages of lots of telecommunications companies, some of which operate in California, try the Yahoo:Business and Economy:Companies:Telecommunications page: http://www.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Companies/Telecommunications/; However, a further search for "California" on the telecom pages does not refine the search, as you only locate the Yahoo links with "California" in the description.

  It is not a simple matter to create a profile of CII-linked companies. According to the ABI database American Business Directory, available on Knight-Ridder's DIALOG, there are 77 companiesin California with the Standard Industrial Code (SIC) 737415 (INTERNET SERVICE). But, there are far more Internet Service Providers (ISPs) than that. Are there only 93 computer bulletin boards (SIC=737403) in California? Well, making a profit, maybe. Thirty-six satellite common carriers (of 299 listed, SIC=484103)? That seems like a lot, but it gets worse:

  Of the 611 companies in the database with WIRELESS in their company name, 85 are in California.
  Of 2,444 companies nationally with SIC=737904 (COMPUTERS NETWORKING), 472 are here somewhere!
  Sprintnet is one of the industrial-strength ISPs with many corporations and large institutions as clients, but they don't show up as being a California company.
  Get this: UUNET, an ISP with some history, also not in California, is classified as SIC=9999 (UNCLASSIFIED ESTABLISHMENTS), or SIC=999977 (NONCLASSIFIED ESTABLISHMENTS)--explain the difference, somebody, please. Want to know how many 9999s there arein the database? 210,194. How many belong in this list? I don't know.

  • Alternet: http://www.alter.net/ (nominally; links to UUNET)

  • ANSnet (Advanced Network Services): http://www.ans.net/ [Network Map (October 1996): http://www.ans.net/ANS/ANSnet.html]

  • BBN Planet. (http://www.bbn.com) [formerly BARRNet; Network Map: http://www.bbn.com/backbone.htm]

  • CalREN [http://www.pactel.com/ir/community/voices/sss/sss-sol1.html; California Research & Education Network; Pacific Bell; proposed 1993]

  • CERFnet (http://www.cerf.net). [Network Map: http://www.cerf.net/cerfnet/about/T3-map/T3-960830.pdf]

  • CommerceNet (http://www.commerce.net/)

  • Pacific Bell (http://www.pacbell.com)

  • AT&T: http://www.att.com/

  • GTE: http://www.gte.com

  • Sprint: http://www.sprint.com/

  • MCI: http://www.mci.com/
  • MCI Government Systems: http://www.gov.mci.net/

  • Pac-West Telecom: http://www.pacwest.com/

  • UUNET: http://www.uu.net/index.html [Network Map (click on U.S., "represents 1/1/97 plans"): http://www.uu.net/intlmap/index.shtml]

  • Westnet: http://www.westnet.net/ [Network Maps (various dates): http://www.westnet.net/Maps/]

II. Strategic Plans

• State Agencies & State-wide Organizations

  California. Dept. of Education (1996). Connect compute, and compete. Sacramento, CA: California. Dept. of Education.

  California. Dept. of Information Technology (1996). California Integrated Information Network: A strategic plan for CALNET and all state telecommunications networks. [Online]. Available: http://www.doit.ca.gov/StrategicPlan/CIIN.asp

  California. Dept. of Information Technology (1996). Statewide communication and document handling. [Online]. Available: http://www.doit.ca.gov/Messaging/default.asp

  California. Dept. of Motor Vehicles (1994). Strategic information technology plan. Sacramento, CA: California Dept. of Motor Vehicles.

  California. Governor's Council on Information Technology (1995, June). Getting results. [Online]. Available: http://www.ca.gov/gov/gcit/toc.html

  California. Legistaltive Analyst's Office (). http://www.lao.ca.gov/chit1760.html

  California. Office of Information Technology, Dept. of Finance (1993, July). Strategic direction for information technology in California state government, 1993-1999. Sacramento, CA: Office of Information Technology, Dept. of Finance. [I coded this -CM]

  California. Office of Information Technology, Dept. of Finance (1988). Strategic direction for information technology in California state government, 1988-1993. Sacramento, CA: Office of Information Technology, Dept. of Finance.

  California. Public Utilities Commission (1993). Enhancing California's competitive strength: a strategy for telecommunications infrastructure. [Online]. Available: gopher://brie.berkeley.edu:2234/0/Infra

  California. State Board of Equalization (1994) Information management strategic plan. Sacramento, CA: State Board of Equalization.

  The League of California Cities Model Telecommunications Policy [Adopted April, 1994]

• Regional & Local Government

  Los Angeles. Mayor's Special Advisory Committee on Technology Implementation (1994). Reconnecting the City with the People. Los Angeles, CA: Mayor's Special Advisory Committee on Technology Implementation.
  [See Final Report, below.]

  Los Angeles. Mayor's Special Advisory Committee on Technology Implementation (1996, February 1). Reconnecting the City with the People, Progress Report Fact Sheet -- February 1, 1996 [Online]. Available: http://www.ci.la.ca.us/dept/MAYOR/techpro1.htm

• Academic/Educational

  California State University, Council of Library Directors (1994). Transforming CSU libraries for the 21st Century: A strategic plan of the CSU Council of Library Directors. [Online]. Available: http://www.co.calstate.edu/itpa/Docs/lib_strat_plan.html

  California State University, Presidents' Task Force on Intra-campus Networking Infrastructure (1994). Final report. [Online]. Available: http://www.co.calstate.edu/ITPA/Docs/Pres_task_force.html

  California State University, Strategic Initiatives Consulting Group (1996). CSU integrated technology strategy. [Online]. Available: http://sicg.calstate.edu/

• Private Nonprofit & Private Non-commercial

  Smart Valley, Inc. (1996). Business plan, calendar year 1996: Beta site for the information age. [Online]. Available: http://www.svi.org/INFO/bizpln.html

  NetDay 96 (1996, March 9) [http://www.netday96.com/]

• Commercial

III. Information Policy

There is currently no coherent state-wide information policy. Current and prior session legislation on telecommunications can be accessed through the State Senate web page: http://www.sen.ca.gov/www/leginfo/SearchText.html
Try these keywords: PUBLIC and UTILITIES and TELECOMMUNICATIONS and SERVICES

• California Information Practices Act. California Civil Code [Online], §§ 1798-1798.78, Available: http://www.jhhw.com/codes/civ/01001-02000/

  California. Legislature. Joint Legislative Budget Committee. Legislative Analyst (1980). A report on the implementation of the Information Practices Act, Chapter 709, Statutes of 1977. Sacramento, CA: Legislative Analyst.

  Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, Center for Public Interest Law, University of San Diego (1994). From cradle to grave: Government records and your privacy. [Online]. Available: http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs11-pub.html

• California Public Records Act. California Government Code [Online], §§ 6250-6268, Available: http://www.well.com/user/fap/pratxt.htm

  First Amendment Coalition (1996). Legislation, guides, and frequently asked questions: California Public Records Act. [Online]. Available: http://www.well.com/user/fap/prax.htm

  Kahn, Chris (1990). Your guide to public information: the California Public Records Act. Sacramento, CA: California State Legislature, Senate Local Government Committee.

• Universal Access

  California Public Utilities Commission (1995). Universal service report to the Legislation: in response to AB 3643. [Online]. Available: http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/telecommunications/universal_service/unileg.txt
  [Telephone service. See AB_3643 -- Public utilities: telecommunications services (93/94 session)

  Rand Corporation, Inc. (1995). Universal access to e-mail: Feasibility and societal implications. [Online]. Available: http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR650/

IV. Critical Voices

• State

  Bowen, Debra (1995). Budget Subcommittee #5: Background on CMIS & CALNET. [Archived email]. Available: http://www.ganymede.org/agencies/general_services_calnet.html [See CALNET, above]

  California. Dept. of Information Technology (1996). Interim annual report: reforming the State of California's use and management of information technology. Sacramento, CA: The Dept.

  California. Governor's Task Force on Government Technology Policy and Procurement (1994). Report to Governor Pete Wilson. Sacramento, CA.: Governor's Office of Planning and Research.

  California. Legislative Analyst's Office. 1995-96 Budget analysis: Department of General Services, CALNET. [Online]. Available: http://www.lao.ca.gov/chit1760.html (Search the Legislative Analyst's Office by keywords at http://www.lao.ca.gov/laosearch.html) [See CALNET, above]

  California. Legislative Analyst's Office. 1995-96 Budget analysis: Health and Welfare Agency Data Center. [Online]. Available: http://www.lao.ca.gov/chit4130.html; [See Kiosk, above]

  California. Legislative Analyst's Office. (1996, January 23). State information technology: An update. [Online]. Available: http://www.lao.ca.gov/pb12396.html or http://www.lao.ca.gov/pb12396.pdf;

  California. Legislative Analyst's Office. (1994, June 16). Information technology: An important tool for a more effective government. [Online]. Available: http://www.lao.ca.gov/infotech.txt

  California. Legislature. Assembly. Comittee on Utilities and Commerce (1990). Telecommunications procurement by the state of California: The CALNET experience. Sacramento, CA: Joint Publications Office. [See CALNET, above]

  California State Auditor (1994). The Dept. of Motor Vehicles and the Office of Information Technology did not minimize the State's financial risk in the Database Redevelopment Project. Sacramento, CA: California State Auditor.

  California State Auditor (1994). The state needs to reengineer its management of information technology. Sacramento, CA.: California State Auditor, Bureau of State Audits.

  Senate Bill 1, Department of Information Technology (1995). [Online], Avaliable: http://www.sen.ca.gov/htbin/ca-billpage/SB/1/GOPHER_ROOT2:[BILL.CURRENT.SB.FROM0000.SB0001]

• Regional & Local Government

  California. Grand Jury (San Francisco) (1996). Information technology services in San Francisco government. San Francisco, CA.: Grand Jury.

  Los Angeles. Mayor's Special Advisory Committee on Technology Implementation (1995, January 26) Final Report -- January 26, 1995. [Online]. Available: http://www.ci.la.ca.us/sact.htm
  [See Reconnecting the City with the People, above.]

• Activists & Consumer Watchdogs

  CPSR [Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility. Home page at: http://www.cpsr.org/home.html]

  ConsumerNet [contact information at http://www.consumernet.org/index.html]

  TURN [Toward Utility Rate Normalization; contact information at: http://www.energyonline.com/Restructuring/players/interest_groups/turn.html#turn]

  UCAN [Utility Consumers' Action Network; contact information at http://www.ucan.org/ucan/]

  UCAN (1997, February 19). Staking out the public interest in the merger between Pacific Telesis and Southwestern Bell Corporation. A white paper prepared for the California Telecommunications Policy Forum. [Online]. Available: http://www.ucan.org/ucan/news/whte_1.htm

• Academics

  Burns, Pat, Sharp, Ed & Eschbach, Darel (1996). Back on track to the NII? [Online]. Available: http://www.westnet.net/back-on-track.html

• Journalists

  Gurwitt, Rob (1995). Overload. Governing, 9:1, 16-?

  Perkins, Michael (1995, October). The information highway. The Red Herring [Online], 24. Available: http://www.herring.com/mag/issue24/info.html [use 'Find' to locate Sluggish-Brained Sloths (case-sensitive)]

V. Other Resources

Despite much talk about the National Information Infrastructure, the category of California Information Infrastructure has not yet gained prominence as a topic of research. A simple Altavista search on the phrase "California Information Infrastructure" Wed, Oct 16, 1996 turned up only four hits, none of which were enlightening. While this section is sure to grow, it must start very modestly.

Bank, David (1994, December). The road ahead: A basic guide to the information super-highway. [Online], Available: http://groucho.santarosa.edu/net/infohwy.html

CEGI Project (1996). California information resources. [Online]. Available: http://cpsr.org/cpsr/states/california/research.html#resources
[CEGI meta-list of web-based compiliations of California sites]

Information Infrastructure Standards Panel (IISP), (1996). [Global] Information Infrastructure Links. [Online]. Available: http://www.ansi.org/iisp/links.html [The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) sponsors the IISP]

George Mason University, Institute for Educational Transformation (1995). Regional Information Infrastructure Policy Project of Northern Virginia (RIIPP). [Online]. Available: http://www.gmu.edu/~amoore2/iet/riipp.html

MacKie-Mason, Jeffrey (1996). Telecom information resources on the Internet. [Online]. Available: http://ippsweb.ipps.lsa.umich.edu/telecom/technical-info.html
[TelecomFAQs and Standards, Internet Technical Reports, Data and Statistics, Reference Tools]

Mclaughlin, Craig (1996). Infostructure: Cities scramble to plug. Metropolis [Online], 15:10. Available: http://www.virtuflex.com/features/metropolis/June/infostru.html

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