[10577] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Request for information
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Pushpendra Mohta)
Sun Feb 27 07:06:13 1994
From: Pushpendra Mohta <pushp-m@cerf.net>
To: glee@netcom.com (Glee Harrah Cady)
Date: Tue, 15 Feb 1994 08:53:50 -0800 (PST)
Cc: com-priv@psi.com
In-Reply-To: <Pine.3.85.9402150842.A1075-0100000@nfs-serv> from "Glee Harrah Cady" at Feb 15, 94 08:33:42 am
Glee Harrah Cady writes:
>>
>>If anyone has a copy of the Pacific Telesis/Pacific Bell (not sure which
>>it was) announcement of intention to network schools in California, would
>>you either send me a copy, a citation, or post it to the list? Thank you.
>>
>> ____________________________
>> Glee Harrah Cady
>> NETCOM, 4000 Moorpark, San Jose, CA 95117
>> +1.408.554.8717
>> glee@netcom.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
A copy is attached. Its also available via gopher://gw.pacbell.com
--pushpendra
Pushpendra Mohta pushp@cerf.net +1 619 455 3908
Director of Engineering pushp@sdsc.bitnet +1 800 876 2373
CERFnet
February 14, l994
PACIFIC BELL TO LINK PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES
TO COMMUNICATIONS SUPERHIGHWAY
Company President will Lead Public/Private Coalition
to Modernize Schools for the Information Age
SACRAMENTO -- Pacific Bell today announced a $100 million
investment in California public schools and public libraries to
start them rolling on the communications superhighway.
"Most California public schools and libraries are at a
technological standstill today," said Pacific Bell President
Phil Quigley. "By offering a baseline capability to access
information from anywhere in the world and engage in
interactive distance learning, we will be providing every
public school and library an on-ramp to the communications
superhighway."
At a joint press conference with California Governor Pete
Wilson, Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, and the California
Department of Education, Quigley announced that Pacific Bell
will offer linkage for computer communications and
videoconferencing -- the first lane of the superhighway -- to
each of the nearly 7,400 public K-12 schools, public libraries,
and community colleges in Pacific Bell service territory by the
end of l996.
"The information superhighway is a path to California's
future, and only by bringing information technology into our
classrooms and libraries will that path be open to our kids,"
said Governor Wilson. "Pacific Bell's announcement will help
us do that, and it is a gratifying response to the goal that I
set last year-- That California have an affordable,
state-of-the-art telecommunications system to make us
competitive, to improve the quality of our lives, and to expand
the opportunities for our children to learn."
Quigley commended the Governor for promoting deployment of
a modern telecommunications system throughout the state.
Quigley also indicated that, in addition to launching Pacific
Bell's school technology program, he had accepted a challenge
from state Assembly Speaker Willie Brown to lead businesses,
regulators and legislators in an initiative to ensure that
every classroom in California is wired and equipped for
full-speed superhighway access by the year 2000.
"I am delighted that Phil Quigley has accepted my
invitation to lead this technology initiative for our schools
and libraries, and that Pacific Bell is taking a significant
first step by providing an on-ramp to the communications
superhighway," said Brown. "I firmly believe that affordable
access to Information Age technology is essential to ensure
that California students are prepared for the challenges of the
21st century."
Pending approval from the California Public Utilities
Commission, Pacific Bell will wire targeted locations within
each institution for the video and data applications, install
service for free, and waive the usage charges for one year
after installation. Pacific Bell also will work with the
California Public Utilities Commission to develop a special
educational access rate that will help ensure universal
telecommunications service for educational institutions.
In addition to basic data and video connectivity, Pacific
Bell also will give public schools and libraries access to
video-on-demand and other forms of interactive multimedia --
the high-speed lanes of the communications superhighway -- as
the company deploys its interactive broadband network across
its territory in California.
According to some estimates, fewer than ten percent of
California classrooms have even basic telephone service today,
much less the capability of accessing remote computer databases
or engaging in interactive video learning.
"Getting schools up to full speed on the superhighway by
the year 2000 will require wiring in every classroom, computers
and other equipment, and an accelerated deployment of
interactive broadband capability," Quigley said. "Achieving
this objective will take cooperation between the public and
private sectors, regulatory incentives, and changes in public
policy.
"I am committed to lead a public/private partnership to
ensure that every classroom in California has convenient and
affordable access to the communications superhighway, and every
student has a ticket to travel in the pursuit of knowledge."
Components of Pacific Bell's education initiative include:
* Switched digital service, allowing telecomputing and
interactive telelearning capability, will be made
available to all public K-12 schools, public libraries,
and community colleges in Pacific Bell's service territory
by the end of l996. Subject to regulatory approval, each
institution can get free installation of four ISDN lines
for these applications, and Pacific Bell will waive the
usage charges for the first year after installation.
* The company will work with the California Public Utilities
Commission to develop an educational access rate that will
ensure affordable telecommunications connectivity for all
schools and libraries in the state.
* Subject to regulatory approval, Pacific Bell will connect
public schools and libraries to its broadband network as
it is deployed, allowing these institutions access to
video-on-demand and other forms of interactive multimedia.
* Pacific Bell will provide intra-building wiring at up to
two sites at each public school and library -- a computer
lab for telecomputing and a location for interactive
telelearning. The company also will contribute $5 million
in "seed money" to organize and support a drive to raise
the funds needed to wire the remainder of classrooms in
the state for full broadband capability.
* Pacific Bell President Phil Quigley will spearhead a
public/private consortium to ensure that every California
classroom and library is wired and equipped for full
access to the communications superhighway by the year
2000. As part of this effort, Compression Labs, Inc. has
agreed to work with Pacific Bell on a program to provide
the group videoconferencing systems for the schools.
* Pacific Bell will expand its partnership with the Detwiler
Foundation and the California Community Colleges for
placing donated computers in the schools.
* The company will field dedicated resource teams which will
work directly with schools and teachers to help them
fully utilize the new telecommunications equipment and
resources at their disposal. At the same time, the
company will collaborate with universities and colleges to
help increase the emphasis given to educational technology
issues in the teaching curriculum.
Pacific Bell has set up a special hotline --
1-800-901-2210 -- to answer questions from schools, libraries,
and community colleges, and to handle inquiries from businesses
interested in participating in the technology initiative.
Pacific Bell is a subsidiary of the Pacific Telesis Group,
a worldwide diversified communications corporation based in
San Francisco.
