David Edelman is the vice president of Cox Business and Public Affairs and has been with the company for more than 12 years. Part of Mr. Edelman’s job responsibilities include responsibility for Cox’s local strategy and implementation of its corporate citizenship programs with major focus on technology, education and human services. In the following interview, he offers his opinions on the future of the Internet.

Q: The Internet has changed the world. Do you think the digital revolution has leveled off?

A: The digital revolution is still only in its infancy. In March 1995 the first ‘domain name’ was registered. That’s only 13 years. By comparison the television is 72 years old. In 13 years we have seen the Internet grow to over 10 billion Web sites. We have seen telephone services delivered over the Internet, even audio and video content delivered over the Internet. Homes and office automation are being controlled over the Internet. There is even a robot that will conduct heart surgery … over the Internet. We have only scratched the surface.

Q: With regards to the Internet, what do you see happening in the next five years? More users of the same technology/applications or more users and new technology/applications?

A: In the next five years the Internet will become even more important in our daily lives. Right now it is estimated that 56% of all American adults have Internet access. This will undoubtedly increase. The trend will definitely be towards more users, new technology and applications. A great example is home gaming. The latest generation of home ‘console’ games has embraced the Internet making the stand alone game console obsolete. New products such as Call Manager will offer features such as forwarding voicemails to email. We will also offer backup capabilities so users can have all their critical data stored securely in a data warehouse.

Q: From identity theft to sexual deviants preying on children, the Internet presents major safety issues. What is being done to make the cyberspace a safer place?

A: Cox uses an third party provider to block access to known child pornography hosted on news groups. Most recently, Cox, along with other cable companies, made a historic agreement that will help reduce the proliferation of child pornography online. This voluntary agreement calls on cable operators to remove known child porn sites from their servers and report information to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Q: How can parents and teachers make the Internet safer for children?

A: There is a safety initiative called Take Charge! It is designed to provide parents and teachers with tools on how to set parental controls, block TV programs that may be inappropriate, find Internet sites and channels for educational and family-friendly entertainment content, and how to talk to kids about Internet, TV, and phone safety. Parents and teachers can visit the Take Charge! Web site to manage exposure to mass media content with the easy-to-use tools and resources.

Q: The “Reverse 911” calls were very helpful during the Gap Fire. For emergency preparedness, does Cox Communications have plans to implement something similar for South Coast email subscribers?

A: Cox has been providing land-line telephone service to the Santa Barbara area since 2006 and conforms to all California telephone regulatory requirements, including E911 which ensures our compatibility with Reverse 911.

Q: There is a belief that the Internet connectivity and doing well in school are correlated. There is also a belief that the age of Googling has produced a student body with sloppy study habits and a severe lack of critical thinking skills. What’s your take?

A: The Internet is an extremely valuable learning tool for students, and Cox has partnered with the Santa Barbara County Education Office on their Computers for Families program. The concern is the digital divide, those whom have access and those who do not. CFF is specifically designed to provide computers and training to students from low-income families.

Q: Compared to other Cox Communications markets, how does the South Coast compare in Internet usage?

A: This is hard to answer, since Internet usage is so diverse. Cox provides Internet services to more than 40% of the homes in the South Coast area and has consistently won local and national awards for customer services.

Q: What are some ways that home users can better utilize use the Internet?

A: Telecommuting is a fantastic example of technology improving the way we work and live. An employee can make and receive calls from their desk phone connected to the office over the Internet using VoIP (Voice over IP) technologies. They can have access to all the programs and data they would use at the office via a secured VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection. Another, more fun, example is streaming radio. Many domestic and international radio stations are beginning to stream their broadcasts over the Internet.

Q: Traditionally, as technology advanced the price of goods went down (think how expensive the first Texas Instrument calculators were), can consumers expect a lower price for Internet service?

A: Cox has a long standing history of keeping up with technology and passing those benefits along to our customers. For example, we recently introduced PowerBoost™ which allows customers to enjoy free additional bursts of speed when downloading large files, at no extra cost.

Q: What is the number one goal for Cox Communications in respect to the South Coast market?

A: Our mission is to “To be the most trusted provider of communication and entertainment services in America,” not only a slogan but a reality that all of our employees live by. We understand that we are a part of the communities in which we serve. We live here, we work here and we play here so in reality our customers are our friends and neighbors.