================================================================= ALAWON Volume 5, Number 75 ISSN 1069-7799 October 11, 1996 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (100 lines) CLINTON ADMINISTRATION CALLS FOR FREE BASIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONNECTIONS TO EVERY LIBRARY AND K-12 SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY _________________________________________________________________ CLINTON ADMINISTRATION CALLS FOR FREE BASIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONNECTIONS TO EVERY LIBRARY AND K-12 SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture filed a proposed E-rate (education rate) plan with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Joint Board on Universal Service yesterday. The proposed E-rate would guarantee universal service to telecommunications and information services for every library and school in the country. President Clinton and Vice President Gore announced the E-rate during an event focusing on education and technology in Knoxville, TN. ALA continues to analyze the filing and other documents. There appears to be considerable common ground with the Administration, and it is encouraging to see that a number of provisions of the ALA and EdLiNC filings have been incorporated into the Administrations conceptual framework. So long as this framework provides in total the same significant and meaningful discounts equivalent to or exceeding the ALA/EdLiNC recommendations, the Administration is headed in the right direction. In any regulatory proceeding such as the implementation of discounted rates for libraries and schools, the details are very important. Many details are not spelled out in the Administration's universal service proposal. The goal is the right one--universal access for every library and school to the information superhighway. The Administration plan will be a major factor in further developments on this provision of the Telecommunications Act by regulators. ALA looks forward to continuing its own intensive efforts on this issue, and to working further with the Administration and other key players for meaningful implementation of discounted rates. NTIA's filing was made in response to the FCC's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the matter of the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service (CC Docket No. 96-45). According to the Commerce Department's October 10 press release, the Administration's E-rate plan is flexible, market-based, technology neutral, invites competition, and reflects the changing needs of libraries and schools. It is a two-tiered approach. The first tier proposes a basic package of services to be made available to all schools and libraries at no cost to them. Telecommunications service providers would be reimbursed from the industry's universal support system up to the best available commercial rate or "cost plus" rate. The basic package contains Internet access and sufficient bandwidth to support educational needs, and brings that connection into the school or library. The second tier proposes a bidding process that would allow schools and libraries to purchase additional service at deeply discounted rates--the ceiling for these bids would be the best commercially available rates in that region or state. Inside wiring, or networking, is included. The plan also provides additional discounts for low-income and high-cost areas, which are often rural, to have access to these services. NTIA's filing addressing the E-Rate proposal can be found at . For a copy of the remarks made by the President and the Vice President, select then "This week's press briefings;" October 10, 1996. More information about the ALA filings on the universal service proceeding can be found at . Information about Education and Libraries Networks Coalition (EdLiNC)can be found at www.itc.org/edlinc/. _________________________________________________________________ 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 ALA Washington Office Newsline. Visit our Web site at . ALA Washington Office 202.628.8410 (V) 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403 202.628.8419 (F) Washington, DC 20004-1701 Lynne E. Bradley, Editor Contributors: Carol C. Henderson Andrew Magpantay Deirdre A. Herman All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. =================================================================