The maps show the city of Pittsburgh and the networking activities of CK:P and the present proposal. School sites which currently have network access through host dialup are indicated with open circles. School sites with current LAN connectivity are indicated with closed circles. Closed squares indicate the four school sites that will receive high-speed connectivity through the present proposal. Stars denote the three resource centers involved in the project -- the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and Hill House. Crosses mark the six seed sites to be served by Hill House. Heavy lines indicate the bridges referred to in the narrative.
The present project involves a number of significant groups in the cultural, educational and research life of the city of Pittsburgh. Common Knowledge: Pittsburgh, which provides the base of support for the project, is itself a collaboration of the Pittsburgh Public Schools, the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center and the University of Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Public Schools are one of the most outstanding urban school districts in the country, with a long record of innovative programs with national and international recognition. The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) is one of four supercomputing centers serving scientists and students across the country. Through CK:P both the school district and the PSC have become recognized as major sources of innovation for school networking nationally.
Project management and assessment support for both CK:P and the present proposal are provided through the University of Pittsburgh. Janet Schofield of the university's Learning Research and Development Center brings unique skills to the project with her experience in the study of urban schools and technology implementation. Robert Carlitz is a pioneer in school networking efforts, having run the popular KIDSPHERE Internet mailing list for nearly five years and having helped to form the national Consortium for School Networking.
The present proposal extends the CK:P collaboration in important new directions. On the community side we are establishing links with The Carnegie, a complex of museums and libraries with sites around the city, and Hill House, a community center which is making major contributions to the redevelopment of the Hill District neighborhood. Both of these institutions are very well-placed to provide a major influence on the direction of future activities of other cultural and community groups in the city. Through this influence we expect the present project to provide a model for regional networking that will be expanded in subsequent years.
The project also involves two important business partnerships. Digital Equipment Corporation has developed an affiliate relationship with CK:P through which it is offering both equipment for use in the project and a sharing of educational strategies. Through Digital's auspices we have developed a relationship with Tele-Communications, Incorporated. TCI of Pennsylvania will provide connectivity to project sites through Digital's ChannelWorks product and TCI's present cable TV plant.
This trial will be a significant one for both the Pittsburgh Public Schools and TCI. If successful, it could provide an optimal solution for MAN connectivity, both in terms of performance and cost. TCI plans to develop a pervasive fiber optic infrastructure in the Pittsburgh area in the next 18 months, an investment on the order of 100 million dollars. This infrastructure will provide the capacity needed to deliver Ethernet over cable to all of the region's homes, businesses, government offices and schools. The present trial will be a key element in determining whether such service will indeed be provided on a widespread basis.
The needs of the Pittsburgh Public Schools and TCI of Pennsylvania are not unique. Hence a successful trial will have repercussions for other cable systems across the country and around the world. Pittsburgh is one of three sites selected by TCI for an early rebuild of their cable TV plant, so the Pittsburgh site is an optimal one for this sort of test to take place.
A paper by R. Carlitz and E. Hastings, "Stages of Internet Connectivity for School Networking," is included as an attachment. This paper sets the context for the present project in terms of a range of possible solutions for MAN connectivity. It also serves as a useful reference for the various technical terms used in the present proposal.
Included as attachments are the MPC financial statements.
There are three sources of matching funds for the present proposal. The first involves equipment donated by Digital Equipment Corporation, with a total cash value of $235,014 The second is the provision of cable service by TCI. The project will use two channels of the cable system with coverage across the Pittsburgh region. A commercial lease of this service would cost $280,000 for the one-year period during which TCI will supply the service. The third source of matching funds is a grant from the Heinz Endowments of Pittsburgh in the amount of $249,375, $36,464 of which is being applied toward the present effort. A copy of the Research Agreement between DEC and the MPC Corporation (through which the present proposal is being managed) follows. A detailed list of donated equipment may be found in section F(d) of SF 424A. Also following this page is a memorandum of agreement to document the value of the TCI contribution and a letter from the Vira Heinz Endowment confirming their award.
Letters of support have been supplied by the following people:
