I like -- I think I saw, steamline the application process, that may help a lot also.
On Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 2:33 PM, Rick Lawsha <rlaw...@galesburg205.org> wrote: > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: > > September 23, 2010 David > Fiske, 202-418-0513 > > > Email: david.fi...@fcc.gov > > > > FCC ENABLES HIGH-SPEED, AFFORDABLE BROADBAND FOR > > SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES > > > > Washington, D.C. -- The Federal Communications Commission today upgraded and > modernized the E-rate program to bring fast, affordable Internet access to > schools and libraries across the country. These changes will help ensure > that America’s students can learn and develop the high-tech skills necessary > to compete in the 21st Century economy. > > > > The National Broadband Plan laid out a series of recommendations to promote > broadband-enabled, cutting-edge learning inside and outside the classroom. > One of the key recommendations is modernizing the FCC’s E-rate program, > established by Congress to bring connectivity to all schools and libraries > across America. The program has achieved remarkable success -- 97 percent of > American schools and nearly all public libraries now have basic Internet > access. > > > > But the Plan found that basic broadband connectivity is too slow to keep up > with the innovative high-tech tools that are now essential for a world-class > education. According to a recent FCC survey, 78 percent of E-rate recipients > say they need faster connections to meet the speed and capacity demands of > their students, teachers, and library patrons. > > > > The FCC’s E-rate Order makes it easier for schools and libraries to get the > highest speeds for the lowest prices by increasing their options for > broadband providers and streamlining the application process. The Order is > another advance in the Commission’s ongoing transformation of the Universal > Service Fund, of which the E-rate program is part, to deploy broadband > throughout America. > > > > The FCC’s upgrades to E-rate include: > > > > Super-Fast Fiber: The FCC’s E-rate Order will help bring affordable, > super-fast fiber connections to America’s schools and libraries. It allows > participants to use E-rate funds to connect to the Internet in the most > cost-effective way possible, including via unused fiber optic lines already > in place across the country and through existing state, regional and local > networks. With these fiber networks, schools and libraries can provide > students and communities with cutting-edge connectivity, while at the same > time saving millions of dollars by bypassing more expensive options. > > > > School Spots: The FCC is also opening the door to “School Spots” -- where > schools have the option to provide Internet access to the local community > after students go home. With affordable fiber, these School Spots are a > major step toward the National Broadband Plan’s goal of connecting an anchor > institution in every community to affordable 1 gigabit per second broadband. > School Spots will help ensure that people who otherwise lack access can use > broadband. > > > > Learning On-the-Go: The FCC is launching a pilot program that supports > off-campus wireless Internet connectivity for mobile learning devices. > Education doesn’t stop at the schoolyard gate or the library door. Digital > textbooks and other innovative wireless devices allow students to learn in a > real-world context, inside the classroom and beyond. Because of their low > cost and accessibility, these mobile devices can also help advance digital > equality, particularly for children from economically disadvantaged > communities. > > > > 21st Century E-rate Program: The Order brings E-rate into the 21st Century > by making the program more effective and efficient. These improvements > include: > > Indexing the cap on E-rate funding to inflation in a fiscally responsible > manner, so that the program can more fully meet the needs of students and > communities. Since 1997 when the E-rate program started, inflation has > raised costs 30 percent but the program has remained capped, significantly > decreasing its effective purchasing power. Earlier this month, the > Commission reserved hundreds of millions of dollars annually from another > program of the Universal Service Fund to cover the incremental E-rate > support (less than $25 million next year) it is providing, without growing > the overall size of the Universal Service Fund. > > > > Supporting connections to the dormitories of schools that serve students > facing unique challenges, such as Tribal schools or schools for children > with physical, cognitive, or behavioral disabilities. > > > > Bolstering protections against waste, fraud, and abuse by codifying > competitive bidding requirements and clarifying ethics obligations. > > > > Streamlining the E-rate application process for educators and librarians. > > > > Formally called the Schools and Libraries Universal Service program, the > E-rate program provides up to $2.25 billion annually to support telephone > and Internet connections at schools and libraries across the country. The > program supports both the cost of telecommunications and Internet service > and the installation of internal networks. Since it was established by the > 1996 Telecommunications Act, the program has connected most of the nation’s > classrooms to the Internet, and supports continued service and necessary > upgrades of school and library networks. > > > > Action by the Commission September 23, 2010, by Report and Order (FCC > 10-175). Chairman Genachowski, Commissioners Copps, and Clyburn with > Commissioner McDowell approving and dissenting in part and Commissioner > Baker approving and concurring in part. Separate statements issued by > Chairman Genachowski, Commissioners Copps, McDowell, Clyburn, and Baker. > > > > > > -FCC- > > > > News about the Federal Communications Commission can also be found on the > Commission’s web site www.fcc.gov. > > > > ________________________________ > This electronic mail is copyrighted by Community Unit School District #205, > Galesburg, Illinois USA. Unauthorized dissemination or duplication of it is > prohibited. Violators of copyright/confidentiality laws may be prosecuted. > > | Subscription info at http://www.tech-geeks.org | > -- Daniel E. Ragen District Technology Coordinator Dupo CUSD 196 600 Louisa Ave Dupo, IL 62239 Phone - 618-286-3214 x2141 dra...@dupo.stclair.k12.il.us ''Life's tough ... it's even tougher if you're stupid." - John Wayne | Subscription info at http://www.tech-geeks.org |
