Defining the Service for Schools

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Thanks, Steve, for answering my questions.

If I have not misunderstood the new law, it requires the FCC to define
"universal service" for all potential customers, not just schools and
libraries, and to define "special services" that  schools, libraries, and
health care facilities may require in addition to those services defined as
"univeral."

If this is the case, then the initial definition of "special services" that
the FCC adopts will become a minimum standard of telecommunications
services for schools and libraries for the forseeable future (or for
whatever duration the FCC sets before revision of definitions). Thus, the
definition of "special Services" becomes of great importantance to schools.


The educators' voice from this seminar should be very strong in urging a
definition of "special services" that brings schools the quality and level
of connectivity to the world of information and resources that our students
need if they are to learn how to work and live in their 21st century world.
I would propose then, that the definition of "special services" be two-way
voice, data, and video communications capability connecting every school to
the world's information resources.  If we do not reach for a high minimum
standard with which to begin, I have little hope that this legislation and
its regulations will have the profound effect on students and their
learning that some in the Congress anticipatd with the Snow-Rockefeller
ammendment.

Although others in this seminar have spoken well for the case to include
computer equipment for schools, training for teachers, and local area
networks as part of the definition of universal or special
telecomunications services, I disagree with those positions.  Equipment,
training, and LANs within schools and school districts are essential parts
of the whole that localities can provide  with their own funds, business
support, and good use of state and federal education dollars that come
their way.

What localities cannot do for themselves with present rate structures is to
install and pay the monthly operational fees for the broadband, two-way
connectivity to the external world.  And the installation costs and monthly
fees for broadband two-way connectivity are just what this law and the FCC
can address.

Mary Harley Kruter

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