[10663] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Re: CCN's Clarification re: Internet Local Loop
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Sheldon Mains 612-297-2376)
Fri Mar 4 16:43:41 1994
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 1994 15:38:27 -0600
From: mains@lmic.state.mn.us (Sheldon Mains 612-297-2376)
To: com-priv@psi.com
>> Why are we talking about regulated access to something
>> that is easily justified (IMHO) and purchased by a business or
>> non-profit organization but for personal use is really a luxury?
>
>David Hughes writes:
>. . . , you left out one large sector where Interenet
>access is *not* a luxury, but already a near-necessity - education,
>with 40 million K-12 students as well as higher education - who
>should not only have access from schools as 'institutions' but
>also from home. Ditto teachers. But we already have the 'haves and
>have nots' in access to technology and telecom in education. If we
>really believe the Internet is all so important for the future,
>we better figure out how, not just by the 'hidden hand' of the
>marketplace, but by direct action, INSURING that every student in
>the US has access. One way or another. Period.
>
.
I know this is somewhat off the topic of internet access, but I think it
applies:
While I agree with Hughes on the need for Internet in K-12, one thing no
one is talking about: While it would be unthinkable to have most office
workers who deal with the public working in offices without phones,
teachers usually do not have phones in their rooms and have to go to the
lounge or office, find a vacant phone, and hope for privacy when they have
to call a parent. Parents have to leave messages with front office staff
when they want to talk to teachers (and hope the message gets through and
remains private). How about phones in teachers rooms or
at least voice-mail for teachers.
Then you get to the issue of do we really have universal phone service
(Minnesota has one of the highest fractions of homes with phones--96%).
The Minneapolis Public Schools had to turn down an offer to use a phone
company e-mail system (service charges and terminals were to be donated
free to the school and to all the parents) since a significant number of
the parents did not have phones in their homes.
