Re: Rep. White introduces Internet Protection Act (fwd)

["Peter Trei" <trei@process.com>]

> From:          Jim Choate <ravage@ssz.com>
> Subject:       Re: Rep. White introduces Internet Protection Act (fwd)
> To:            cypherpunks@ssz.com (Cypherpunks Distributed Remailer)
> Date:          Thu, 31 Jul 1997 13:39:12 -0500 (CDT)
> Reply-to:      Jim Choate <ravage@ssz.com>

> Forwarded message:
>
Peter Trei wrote 
> 
> > Here's a fun little thought experiment:
[lots of snipping on both sides] 
> A flawed one.
> 
> > Considering the hairsplitting that takes place everyday
> > in courtrooms these days, an arguement could be made that
> > since virtually the entire net these days is optical fiber,
> > there are no 'electronic' communications taking place.
> > 
> > Does the FCC charter mention photonic communications as 
> > well? At what point does the charter allow them to 
> > interfere? Here's some steps on the way...

[amusing, not too serious arguments involving mimes deleted]
 
> Photons are the vector boson for em radiation, in a wire or in the air.
> In the wire the photons go from electron and protons to other electrons and
> protons. This is what makes them want to 'move'. Despite popular vision, they
> don't go bumping into each other like a bunch of ping-pong balls in a pipe...

> > Is this an electronic communication?
> 
> Yes.

So when I look at someone's facial expression, I'm using photons, and 
the FCC can regulate this activity as an 'electronic communication'?
This seems to be what you are suggesting.

I have this niggling memory at the back of my mind to the
effect that the FCC regulates nothing above a certain
frequency (somewhere in the microwave region). I don't
know if this is an internal rule, or something imposed on
them by charter or congress.

I'm not sure what the limit is. The highest frequency I've
been able to find regulations for is 105 GHz, the upper 
edge of a band reserved for SETI research in Britain. The
highest FCC reg I've seen tops out at 77 GHz. 

This is all far below the frequencies of light used in 
fiber optic networks.

Anything above about 100GHz seems to be unregulated. 

Peter Trei
trei@process.com