A panel composed of four FCC officials, four utilities officials and one consumer advocate drafted these proposals. The proposals would benefit the youth and U.S. educational institutions. These plans would help spread computer use throughout the nation's schools. By extending the opportunity to access the Internet at a young age, the proposals could start children on the road to technological literacy - a skill that is becoming increasingly important.
Another benefit of the proposals is found in their language, which call for 20- to 90-percent discounts on the costs of telecommunication services. The actual discount awarded to any district would be contingent upon the financial status of its students - the more students eligible for the free lunch program, the greater the discount for the district. By linking the discount level to relative wealth, the proposal would help poorer districts most, allowing them to narrow the technological gap between themselves and financially healthy districts.
Finally, the authors of the proposals envision the sum of $2.25 billion as a minimum. If this goal were not met in any year, the surplus funds would carry over to later years, allowing flexibility in the plan.
However, the recommendations are not without flaws. These large discounts would primarily come from the coffers of telecommunication companies; they would probably pass their costs onto customers. More important, the proposals focus only on technical costs, such as those of wiring schools for Internet access. It fails to address the financial burdens of buying and maintaining computer equipment. The authors also did not include any provisions for training teachers about the Internet, a crucial component in introducing any new technologies to the classroom setting. Without the hardware necessary to log onto the Internet, or the presence of teachers capable of understanding that global network, discounted service fees and a perfect set of Internet-ready cables would be of no use. (The act also contains a vague Internet obscenity clause, designed to censure users.)
Nevertheless, the FCC and utility officials have taken an important step to bring schools and libraries fully into the information age. Telecommunication companies should move to implement the funding proposals. Then it is up to other sectors to follow through on their lead, and provide funds for teacher training and equipment costs.