From: wecooks@ix.netcom.com
Subject: Fwd: Vote Could Mean Telecommunications Discounts for Education
Date: Sat, 8 Mar 1997 11:13:28 -0600 (CST)
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From: "Arthur J. Galus" <arthur-galus@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Vote Could Mean Telecommunications Discounts for Education
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From: Kirk_Winters@ed.gov (Kirk Winters)
US Department of Education
Date: Fri, 7 Mar 97
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS in new investments for technology
may be available to schools & libraries as early as
the 1997-98 school year. It all hinges on a vote
scheduled for May 8.
On that day, the 4 current Commissioners of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) will vote to accept, modify
or reject a set of recommendations made by the Federal-State
Joint Board on Universal Service. These recommendations, if
accepted by the Commissioners, would mean deep discounts --
20% to 90% off Internet access charges & other
telecommunication services -- for schools & libraries.
Are such discounts important for your students? How could
discounts in Internet access charges & other telecommuni-
cation services help improve teaching & learning in your
school or library?
If you have ideas or an opinion, now is the time to let the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC), your state public
utility regulators & other public officials hear from you.
For more information, here is an "E-Rate Alert" (below)
prepared by our Office of Public Affairs & our Office of
Educational Technology.
=======================================================
E-RATE ALERT
U.S. Department of Education
March 7, 1997
=======================================================
As part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Snowe-
Rockefeller Amendment gives schools and libraries, for the
very first time, the opportunity to receive deep discounts
in access charges to the Internet and other available tele-
communication services. The Federal-State Joint Board on
Universal Service established by the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) has made the following recommendations to
implement the law:
* Establish an "E-rate" (education rate) for
telecommunications services making every public and
private non-profit school in the nation eligible for
discounts ranging from 20% to 90% on a sliding scale
formula.
* Internet access (dial-up, direct access, and E-mail) as
well as internal connections (internal wires, routers
and network file servers) are subject to these
discounts as well as installation and maintenance
costs.
* Recognizing that schools and libraries need
flexibility, *all* commercially available
telecommunications service are eligible for discounts
including telephone lines, coaxial cable, and fiber
optics as well as cellular and satellite
communications.
* Funding to support this initiative will come from the
Universal Service Fund, which will be administered by
an independent fund administrator and total up to $2.25
billion a year.
The average discount will be about 60% for every school and
one-third of all schools will receive discounts of 80% to
90%.
OVERCOMING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This deep discount provision will be especially helpful to
rural and urban schools that have high rates of poverty.
The level of discounts will be determined by a combination
of two factors: percentage of students eligible for Free or
Reduced Price Lunch and geographic location. For example, a
school which has 20% to 34% of its students participating in
the national school lunch program will receive about a 50%
discount on its access charges.
But a school with 75% to 100% of its students participating
in the school lunch program will receive a 90% discount.
TIME IS SHORT TO MAKE THE "E-RATE" A REALITY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The staff of the Federal Communications Commission is now in
the process of developing the final rules for implementing
the recommendations. On May 8th, the four current
Commissioners of the FCC will vote to accept, modify or
reject these recommendations. At a time when only 14% of
all classrooms are connected to the Internet, the creation
of an "E-rate" will go a very long way to helping principals
and teachers prepare their students for the 21st century.
Should the FCC vote to implement the "E-rate" in May,
funding will be available for the 1997 school year.
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are three important dates in charting the future of
the E-rate. It is important that the FCC, your state public
utility regulators, and other public officials understand
how the E-rate will help your students.
* March 12th -- The Senate Commerce Committee, led by
Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) and Senator Fritz
Hollings (D-South Carolina), will review the progress
of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, including the E-
rate. Reed Hundt, the Chair of the FCC will testify.
Please call 202-224-5115 for more information.
* May 8th -- The FCC Commissioners will vote to accept,
modify or reject the final rules to implement the E-
rate. Please call 202-418-0500 for more information.
* June 3rd -- A live, interactive video conference
entitled "Maximizing Your E-Rate" sponsored by PBS is
scheduled to air at 1-2:30 pm EST to explain how the E-
rate will be implemented. To participate, a school
needs a steerable C-band or Ku-band satellite dish.
Please call 1-800-257-2578 for more information.
========================================================
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Kirk Winters
U.S. Department of Education
kirk_winters@ed.gov
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