US:PA-2: Summary of Universal Service Task Force Report

Summary of Universal Service Task Force Report

Bob Carlitz (bob@hamlet.phyast.pitt.edu)
Thu, 25 Sep 1997 21:59:12 -0400 (EDT) 

The Final Report and Recommendation of the Pennsylvania Universal
Service Task Force contains a number of recommendations which
should prove to be of great importance for teachers and librarians
across the state.  You can read the full report at

	/projects/us-pa/documents/taskforce.html

The report includes sections on Health Care Facilities, Basic
Universal Service Costing Model Refinements and Monitoring and
Reporting/Subscribership, in addition to its major section on
School and Libraries.  I'll focus on school and library issues
in this brief summary.

1- The Task Force recommends that the PUC should approve the Final
Report but consider modifications in response to public comments
on the Report.  They make explicit mention of the Universal
Service: Pennsylvania online seminar as a mechanism for supplying
this public comment.  This means that the PUC will be listening
to suggestions that you have on the content of the Report.  You
can make your suggestions directly to the PUC, or you can present
them in the online seminar.  We will prepare a summary of these
comments for submission to the PUC.

2- The Task Force had recommended previously that the PUC adopt
the federal discount matrix for determining the level of Universal
Service discounts.  There remains the question of whether this
discount program will meet adequately the needs of Pennsylvania
schools and libraries.  To this end the Task Force recommends
that the PUC carefully monitor the effectiveness of the program
and consider modification to the program, including the possible
creation of a state Universal Service fund, if the program's
first year fails to meet Pennsylvania's needs.

3- The following specific evaluation points are suggested:
	* Savings realized by schools and libraries
	* Possible adverse effects of the program
	* Meeting the needs of poor schools and schools in 
	  high-cost areas
	* Meeting the needs of poor libraries and libraries
	  in high-cost areas
	* Adequacy of the FCC level of discounts for PA needs

4- The following specific evaluation criteria are suggested:
	* Infrastructure build-out resulting from the program
	* Problems with approval of applications
	* Adequacy of the school lunch model as a needs test
	* Extent to which subsidiary activities such as
	  professional development and curricular integration
	  occur

5- The Task Force expresses concern that the FCC's restrictions
on consortia, specifically the manner in which community
network partners are discouraged from participation, are likely
to hinder infrastructure modernization and efficient utilization
of public network infrastructure.  This aspect of the FCC's
Order runs counter to the networking strategy of the state's
Link-to-Learn program.

6- The Task Force recommends that schools and libraries phrase
their requests for discounted services in terms of _services_
rather than technologies and that such requests make use of
public networking infrastructure where possible and advantageous.

7- The Task Force recommends further research to determine
mechanisms which would take advantage of using a common
source to advertise aggregated demand.  This could amount to 
using something like the Web site envisioned for the FCC's 
Universal Service program, but broadening the effort to admit 
community and municipal networking partners.

8- The Task Force recommends that the PUC pay close attention
to the impact of other orders on the ability of schools and
libraries to receive competitive bids for services.

9- The task of examining how the FCC's Universal Service Order
might dovetail with the state's Chapter 30 regulations has been
postponed in order to meet the stringent deadlines associated
with the Universal Service program.

10- The Task Force recommends that the PUC and the PA Department of
Education facilitate public access to information that will assist
schools and libraries in their application for Universal Service
discounts and in the effective use of resources obtained through this
program. Such information should be made available electronically
through the Internet.

11- The PUC will facilitate public access to telecommunications
tariffs via the Internet.

12- The Task Force recommends that the PUC should allocate resources
for ongoing educational efforts relating to the E-Rate.

13- The Task Force encourages the PA Department of Education to
expedite the development of a program to review technology plans
required under the Universal Service program.  An initial model
for such plans is provided by Title III of Improving America's
Schools Act, Section 3135 (which you can find in the US:PA
Resource Library).

14- The PA Department of Education should use the Internet to
assist schools and libraries in identifying funding sources
which can complement the E-Rate program.

15- For intrastate services the PUC should allow consortia with
eligible and ineligible members (with respect to Universal
Service discounts) to negotiate pre-discount prices which may
be lower than tariffed rates, as long as those negotiated rates
are no lower than the incremental cost of the services in
question.

16- Mediation should be offered as an initial means of resolving
disputes between schools and libraries and providers of discounted
services.  Upon failure of a mediation effort, a formal
complaint can be filed with the PUC.

Please add your comments on the Report, especially if you
feel I've overlooked some issues that may be important for
schools and libraries.  Each of the points noted above may
have some impact on these groups as they apply for discounted
services and work to implement telecommunications programs under the
Universal Service discount program.

Bob Carlitz