Organizations - CITS, LINCT & EPIE

cits_nii_framework_ota.report: CITES' September 1994 'An Information Framework for the Planning and Design of "Information Highways" which suggests the design of the National Information Infrastructure (NII). Contained in the 14 characteristics of information are the seeds of how to build better information systems. In particular, the 8 characteristics related to market failure provide the rational for non-profit and government involvement.
cits_ntia.letter: CITS letter to Larry Irving of NTIA taking issue with the composition of the US NII Advisory Council (NIIAC): "We formally request that you consider some changes in the composition of the NII Council. As currently comprised, we believe the areas of education, health and governance are severely underrepresented in important ways..."
cpb_under_attack.article: CITS review of the CPB situation: What will be the fate of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting?
epie_cits_school_networking.report: "Creating Learning Communities: Practical, Universal Networking for Learning in Schools and Homes"; Feb. 1996 EPIE Institute/CITS report.
equitable_infrastructure_and_public_hand.artic: "An Open Discussion with Government, Foundations, Non profits and Grassroots Efforts: The Will to Create the Future: Developing an Equitable Information Structure: the Role for a Public Hand"
fcc_nii_band_draft_petition.article: Draft for FCC Petition for 'Wireless UHF NII Band'
foreign_ownership_and_media_concentration.arti: Article & commentary on foreign ownership of US media, and concentration of media ownership.
health_uniserv_short.history: A Short History of Universal Service: Progress of the Snowe/Rockefeller Amendment for providing Universal Services for 'Health Care Providers for Rural areas, Educational Providers, and Libraries', 1995
hr1555_95_article_cits.comments: CITS comments on HR1555's cable deregulation, media ownership and related issues.
ietf_and_k12_education.article: "Internet Engineering Task Force and K12 Education", from ""An Open Discussion with Government, Foundations, Non-profits and Grassroots Efforts: The Will to Create the Future"
label_and_search.primer: CITS report, "On the Internet, a New Way to Label Information: An Impromptu Primer on Information Search Strategies"
linct_fcc_uniserv_960410.testimony: LINCT Coalition submission to the FCC, Apr. 10, 1996, In the Matter of Federal/State Joint Board on Universal Service [FCC 96-93]
telecom_bill_uniserv_010496.review: overview of universal service provisions in the 1996 telecom bill (mostly Conference Committee Report excerpts.)
value_of_businessally.review: "BusinessAlly is a personal computer based group work software marketed by KST/BusinessAlly of Woburn, MA. It uniquely combines functions related to communication and decision making..." (Product review)
virtual_ghetto_linct.paper: "Eliminating the Virtual Ghetto: Electronic Equity via Community based Learning and Earning". In the information age, knowledge is wealth. Unlike material wealth, information and knowledge based wealth can be shared and no one ends up with less. Such wealth keeps growing. At present, however, access to the source of this wealth, information technology and the skill to use it, is restricted to the world's "information haves." The "gold" of information and learning within the datastream may, indeed, be endlessly mineable, but not by those who lack the technology and training of the techno privileged. Millions of technologically nonpriviledged Americans simply cannot afford the cost of that technology and training.
volksmodem_wireless_com.proposal: "VolksModem: Proposal for Wireless Communities to Acheive Universal Service". The LINCT Coalition finds that communities can be created using a $100 PC card, creating a large wireless community LAN covering 15 miles using "invisible spectrum" spectrum in the range from 50 to 900 Mhz that is current either empty or only occasionally used.

Universal Service Reports

benton_fcc_uniserv.letter: Letter from Benton Foundation to the FCC regarding non-profit, educational & public interest viewpoint on universal service.
cits_conf_rept_uniserv.analysis: Review of Universal Service Provisions Contained in Telecom Conference Report, January 4, 1996, by W. Curtiss Priest of CITS.
cits_puc_comments_responses.excerpts: Clippings from Recent List Posts Regarding CITS Comments [to Public Utilities Commissions] on Universal Services in the U.S. Telecom Law
cits_uniserv.history: W. Curtiss Priest (CITS), "A Short History of Universal Service, 1995: Progress of the Snowe-Rockefeller Amendment for providing Universal Services for 'Health Care Providers for Rural Areas, Educational Providers, and Libraries'"
hirsh_crtc_uniserv.testimony: a written transcript of a presentation made for the CRTC (Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission) on Wednesday February 28 1996 on the subject of universal affordable access, specifically access to local telephone services, by Jesse Hirsh of Local GlobalAccess Inc.
lib_adovcate_s652_guide.draft: THE LIBRARY ADVOCATE'S GUIDE TO THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1996 (preliminary draft), Jamie McClelland, Libraries for the Future
linct_wireless_uniserv.statement: Statement of LINCT Coalition: "Wireless: to Achieve Universal Service", Oct. 30, 1995.
mcpherson_uniserv.commentary: Anticipated actions prescribed with respect to "affordable access provisions for schools and libraries" in the Universal Service Section 254 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that President Clinton signed on Thursday the 8th of February 1996 (By Michael McPherson, editor & publisher of SCCM.)
priest_uniserv.statement: Statement of W. Curtiss Priest of CITS, on universal service (+ Priest's bio.)
s652_hr1555_96.act: Full text of entire Telecommunications Act of 1996 (ex- of 1995)
s652_0395_uniserv.excerpt: Universal Services section of Telecommunications Act of 1995 [1996 when passed] after the Commerce Committee markup in March, 1995
s652_95_uniserv_joint.statement: JOINT EXPLANATORY STATEMENT OF THE COMMITTEE OF CONFERENCE on the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (a section-by-section explanation of what the legislators think the universal service portions of the bill mean.)
s652_95_senate_debate.transcript: Senate debate on the Snow-Rockefeller- Exon-Kerrey universal service amendment to the 95/96 Telecom Act. There is probably no better guide to the intent of the Senators who introduced this provision, than this transcript.