ALAWON v5n80 (November 14, 1996) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v5n80.txt ------------------- ALWN580.ASC follows -------------------- ================================================================= ALAWON Volume 5, Number 80 ISSN 1069-7799 November 14, 1996 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (181 lines) SUMMARY OF THE FCC FEDERAL-STATE JOINT BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS ON DISCOUNTED TELECOMMUNICATIONS RATES FOR LIBRARIES AND SCHOOLS Status Background Preliminary summary outline For more information _________________________________________________________________ SUMMARY OF THE FCC FEDERAL-STATE JOINT BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS ON DISCOUNTED TELECOMMUNICATIONS RATES FOR LIBRARIES AND SCHOOLS STATUS On November 7 the FCC Federal-State Joint Board issued more than 500 pages of recommendations on universal service, including recommendations on providing discounted rates for libraries and schools. The issuance concludes the first part of the regulatory proceeding to implement the universal service provision of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 signed into law February 8, 1996. The FCC now has until May 8, 1997 to make the rules for implementation of the Joint Board recommendations. It is expected that an FCC proceeding on implementation will begin shortly as the Joint Board recommended that rules be implemented in time for the beginning of the 1997-98 school year. Library advocates are encouraged to be prepared to actively participate in the pending FCC proceedings and to monitor their state public utility commissions conducting comparable proceedings at the state level. BACKGROUND The Joint Board recommendations represent the culmination of eight months work. It began with the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on March 8, 1996. More than 27,000 pages of filings by 563 filers, including ALA, were submitted. The Joint Board recommendations are a significant step towards final implementation of the universal service provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, particularly the Snowe-Kerry-Rockefeller-Exon (SKRE) provision relating to library and school discounts. ALA worked hard through several years of legislative efforts to have the discounts for libraries and schools provision and related issues included in the current telecommunications reform measures. Originally ALA and other groups pushed for preferential rates for libraries, schools, higher education institutions and nonprofit groups. Congress narrowed the scope of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to libraries and K-12 schools and included the SKRE provision. However, library eligibility is broad, encompassing libraries eligible to participate in state-based plans under the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) title III interlibrary cooperation and resource sharing program (now LSTA, the Library Services and Technology Act of 1996). All libraries and their users have a stake in the basic purposes of this ongoing rulemaking, as the FCC determines how to implement the Joint Board recommendations. PRELIMINARY SUMMARY OUTLINE Below is a preliminary review of the more than 100 page section pertaining to discounted telecommunications rates for libraries and schools. It is taken from the November 7, 1996 Recommended Decision of the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, section X. Support for Schools and Libraries, paragraphs 438-630. The summary shows ALA's major recommendations followed by the Joint Board's final decision. 1. Definition of services eligible for discount a. ALA: Any telecommunications services available commercially by tariff or through contract should be available to libraries and schools at a discount. b. Joint Board: Recommends that eligible schools and libraries be able to purchase at a discount any telecommunications services, internal connections, and access to the Internet. 2. Significant and meaningful discounts a. ALA: Discount based on the lower of either lowest price offered to any customer or a price, similar to a wholesale price. b. Joint Board: i. Pre-discount price set by competitive bid with the ceiling set at "the lowest price charged to similarly situated non-residential customers for similar services (hereinafter lowest corresponding price.')." ii. Support capped at $2.25 billion annually with unused monies carried over. iii. Geographic area set to area in which the service provider is seeking to serve customers. iv. Discounts range from 20%-90% and range from 40%-90% for all but the least disadvantaged schools and libraries based on the best competitive price. v. States may supplement discounts or may elect to have schools and libraries choose between participating in a state or federal program. 3. Rural, insular high cost (RIHC) discounts a. ALA: Additional support for libraries and schools in high cost areas to make prices comparable to those in low cost areas. b. Joint Board: The FCC should define high cost areas and provide greater discounts for schools and libraries located in those areas. 4. Low income discounts a. ALA: Additional support for libraries and schools in low income areas to encourage provision of telecommunications and information services in these areas. b. Joint Board: Eligible schools determined by Title I, school lunch, or some other measure. Library discount linked to discounts for school district in which in resides. Recommends that Commission seek additional information and that a step approach "for calculating the level of greater discount available to economically disadvantaged schools and libraries." 5. Terms and conditions a. ALA: Simple and non-onerous procedures for bona fide requests for discounted services and rules that allow for schools and libraries that participate in cooperative arrangements. b. Joint Board: i. Bona fide request consists of: (1) certifying to the fund administrator that the library and school have a plan for acquiring supporting infrastructure components (2) sending a description of desired services to fund administrator (3) submitting written request of desired services to chosen service providers. ii. Allows schools and libraries to participate in consortia. FCC should require providers to maintain records showing allocation of services between eligible and noneligible members of consortia. FOR MORE INFORMATION The ALA web site universal service page has been updated to reflect these recent developments. For more information contact Andrew Magpantay, Office of Information Technology, at 800/941-8478. The full text of the Recommended Decision of the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service can be viewed or downloaded at http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/WWW/universal_service/ _________________________________________________________________ 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: Andrew Magpantay Deirdre Herman All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. =================================================================