================================================================= ALAWON Volume 5, Number 25 ISSN 1069-7799 May 13, 1996 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (142 lines) ALA ADVOCATES FOR AFFORDABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS RATES FOR LIBRARIES IN FILING TO FCC ON UNIVERSAL SERVICE ACTION NEEDED: Letters to FCC _________________________________________________________________ ALA ADVOCATES FOR AFFORDABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS RATES FOR LIBRARIES IN FILING TO FCC ON UNIVERSAL SERVICE ACTION NEEDED: Send letters of support to FCC regarding affordable telecommunications rates for libraries in response to Docket #96-45. Advocating affordable telecommunications rates for libraries and K-12 schools, ALA submitted formal Reply Comments on May 7 to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as part of Docket #96-45 on universal service. This is the second phase of these universal service proceedings. Library supporters including library networks, boards, individual librarians and library institutions should write directly to the FCC in support of affordable telecommunications rates for libraries, schools and rural health care providers. Letters and informal comments should be sent to FCC, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M Street, NW, Room 222, Washington, D.C. 20554. Key points from the ALA filing are outlined below. Library advocates are encouraged to endorse the ALA proposals and to include examples of how local communities and library users can benefit from present (or future) library telecommunications services because of affordable telecommunications rates. The following key points from the ALA proposal should be endorsed: * An expansive definition of discounted services for libraries which includes all telecommunications services available commercially or by tariff or through contract; * Emphasis on the need to support high bandwidth, interactive library applications in libraries and schools; * Discount rates for telecommunications services should be either 1) the lowest price offered to any customer or 2) a wholesale price or fair cost price that is based on the Total Service Long Run Incremental Costs (TS-LRIC) of a service, which ever is lower; * Libraries and schools in rural, insular and high-cost areas should receive deeper discounts because of the special barriers to affordable connections; * Core universal services for the residential consumers should be defined, at the very least, as the level of technology required for entry level access to the Internet; * Certification and eligibility requirements should not be onerous, should provide accountability, and should include libraries and schools that participate in appropriate cooperative network arrangements. (Please send copies of your letters to the ALA Washington Office via email or to the address below.) BACKGROUND: The Telecommunications Act of 1996 mandated affordable telecommunications rates for libraries, schools, and rural health care providers under the act's universal service provisions. This is the first time that universal service rules and regulations are to incorporate libraries and schools under universal service policies. Comments in response to the FCC's _Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Universal Service_, Docket 96-45, were submitted by ALA on April 10. ALA President Betty Turock testified before the FCC-Joint Board on April 12 emphasizing the important role that libraries serve as providers of universal service, not merely as beneficiaries of universal service. On May 7 ALA submitted formal Reply Comments. ALA's proposals were endorsed by the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA), and the Urban Libraries Council (ULC). In addition to separate comments, ALA also filed as part of a K-12 education/library coalition led by the National School Boards Association and related groups. Numerous other library agencies or associations filed comments at the FCC, as previously reported in ALAWON. The Joint Board must complete and forward its recommendations regarding interstate universal service issues to the full FCC in November 1996. A number of state public utilities commissions have begun to study universal service policies under the new act; all states will be addressing intrastate telecommunications rates for libraries and schools. Subsequent FCC proceedings, directed to more specific aspects of these issues, are anticipated. The ALA web page provides updated information on future proceedings as well as details of ALA's filings, instructions on filing at the FCC, and the makeup of the Joint Board. Links are also provided to state legislation on universal service and/or state plans. To access these and other ALA web sites, direct your browser to: http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oitp/uniserv.html. For a copy of the full filing, direct your browser to: gopher://gopher.ala.org:70/00/alagophwashoff/ alagophwashoffoitp/comments.txt Or call for more information: Andrew Magpantay (OITP) or Lynne Bradley (WO) at the ALA toll-free number in Washington, D.C.: 1-800-941-8478. _________________________________________________________________ ALAWON is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. To subscribe, send the message "subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname]" to . ALAWON archives gopher.ala.org; select Washington Office Newsline. Web page HTTP://www.ala.org/alawashington.html. ALA Washington Office 202.628.8410 (V) 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403 202.628.8419 (F) Washington, DC 20004-1701 Lynne E. Bradley, Editor All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. =================================================================