[12754] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: libraries and the NII, etc.
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Robert Bocher)
Sat May 28 00:17:13 1994
Date: Fri, 27 May 94 07:38 CDT
From: Robert Bocher <RBOCHER@macc.wisc.edu>
To: COM-PRIV@psi.com, SEAN@sdg.dra.com
X-Vms-To: IN%"com-priv@psi.com",RBOCHER
>From: IN%"SEAN@sdg.dra.com" "Sean Donelan"
To: com-priv@psi.com
Subject: FYI: libraries
[stuff del'd]
>Libraries and the NREN/NII/GII/Infobahn. It seems like every cable,
>telephone, multimedia, politician, and public interest group seems
>to want the library community to sign on to their plan. They promise
>to provide all sorts of perks to libraries in exchange for their
>support. For example, Southwestern Bell Telephone promised to build
>a wonderful fiber-optic network connecting all the schools, hospitals
>and libraries in Missouri. The catch was Southwestern Bell Telephone
>wants to keep several million dollars they've made in "excess"
>revenue. Oh, and it turned out that "free" fiber network for schools,
>hospitals, and libraries would require about $25,000 in equipment
>per site plus $1,800 per site per month in other costs. The fiber
>is the cheap part.
>
>Libraries, schools, and hospitals should be very wary of strangers
>bearing gifts.
>--
>Sean Donelan, Data Research Associates, Inc, St. Louis, MO
>Domain: sean@dra.com, Voice: (Work) +1 314-432-1100
Yes, libraries and the K-12 community should watch their backsides.
Even Ameritech (not the most aggressive of the RBOCS;) has promised to
connect all the high sch. and major public libraries in Wis. with fiber
by the end of '96 if our legislature will pass a fundamental telco
deregulation bill.
I have noted before various legislative committees, as does Sean Donelan,
that laying fiber *is* the cheap part. Many schools and libraries could
find the $$$ to bring fiber the final mile to their buildings because
this can be considered as a one-time cost wrapped into a capital budget
initiative. (BTW: shouldn't the telcos be doing this anyway
simply as part of their infrastructure upgrade??)
The problem will be paying for the ongoing costs month
after month forever. As I noted in some of my testimony if the issues
of ongoing costs are not addressed it does not make much difference
how much fiber comes to the schools and libraries because it will remain
dark. Naturally we are looking at a redefinition of universal
service to address this issue, just like everyone else.
++ Bob Bocher, Wis. State Lib. (aka: Division for Library Services) ++
++ 608-266-2127 fax 608-267-1052 Box 7841 Madison WI 53707 ++
++ rbocher@wiscmacc.bitnet rbocher@macc.wisc.edu ++
