The Honorable Nick Smith		            July 24, 2001
Chairman, House Research Subcommittee
Committee on Science
U.S. House of Representatives
B-374 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC  20515


Dear Mr. Chairman,

I am writing in support of increased public and private investment
in Internet infrastructure development.  As you may know, Hewlett
Packard Company (HP) funds hundreds of programs that seek to address
the "digital divide" and foster sustainable development in our
nation's underserved communities.  These programs often require
Internet connectivity.  As the world races toward a high-tech,
e-commerce future, we at HP believe that no Americans should be
left behind.

To this end, HP provided three $5 million grants to digital divide
programs earlier this year.  One of these programs (called the
"Tribal Digital Village") will connect 18 of southern California's
Native American tribes, and was made possible by the pioneering
work of Hans-Werner Braun and Kimberly Bruch and their efforts to
extend the HPWREN (High Performance Wireless Research and Education
Network) to Indian reservations.

Mr. Braun and Ms. Bruch have worked to connect the learning centers
in Pala, Rincon and La Jolla reservations and provide distance
learning and tutoring to the children in this community.  The HP
grant was given to the Southern California Tribal Chairmen's
Association (SCTCA), which handles cross-tribal issues such as
welfare, education, and housing.  In cooperation with the University
of California, San Diego, the SCTCA and other partners, we will be
extending the use of these learning centers to create a "learning
community".  Our team is considering the use of this Internet
infrastructure with multiple computers not just to enhance after-school
learning for the K-12 grades, but also for vocational and job
training, as well as a way to address possible opportunities for
creating businesses run from home.

We believe that this program will have uplifting results.  But we
realize that it is possible because of a creative public-private
partnership.  Without public funding for Internet infrastructure
development -- like those programs that bring education to remote
schools over the Internet - the Tribal Digital Village would not
exist.  We respectfully request your coordination and support of
increased funding of these important initiatives.  Together, we
can make a difference.

Sincerely,


Srinivas Sukumar
HP E-Inclusion Executive
Tribal Digital Village


cc: The Honorable Duke Cunningham