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FYI,<br>
<br>
Suzanne L. Sager<br>
Oregon ALA Chapter Councilor<br>
<br>
-------- Original Message --------
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<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">Subject: </th>
<td>[alacro-l] ALA Responds to FCC Call for Comments on
Broadband, E-Rate</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">Date: </th>
<td>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:34:55 -0500</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">From: </th>
<td>Michael Dowling <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:mdowling@ala.org"><mdowling@ala.org></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">To: </th>
<td>ALACRO-L <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:alacro-l@ala.org"><alacro-l@ala.org></a></td>
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<div class="Section1">
<p><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">WASHINGTON, D.C.
–
The American Library Association (ALA) submitted a <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/E-Rate-comments.pdf">response</a>
to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-09-2376A1.pdf">call
for comments</a> on broadband needs in education including changes to
the
E-rate program to improve broadband deployment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">The E-rate
program is
nearing the day when it won’t be able to fund all of the most urgent
(Priority One) requests, much less other important requests. This
financial
shortfall is not surprising because the E-rate program is currently
capped at
$2.25 billion per year, unchanged from the level at the program’s
inception in 1997.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">ALA urges the FCC
to
increase the cap to compensate for inflation and to provide full
support for
current library and school needs within the original intent of the
program
– universal access to advanced telecommunications and information
services.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">“Until the E-rate
cap
is increased to meet existing needs, the FCC should not consider
expanding the
type of entities or services eligible for support,” said Dr. Alan
Inouye,
director of ALA’s Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Maintaining the
flexibility
of the current E-rate program is essential to meeting the needs of
local
libraries and schools. The E-rate program is already designed to
accommodate
evolving emphases and technologies – prospective beneficiaries need
only
to submit applications. Fundamental change in the program is
unnecessary.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">“However, what
does
need to be changed are the application and disbursement processes,
which are
mind-boggling in their complexity and detail,” Inouye said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">ALA reaffirms its
past
support for simplifying the application and disbursement processes,
which are
major deterrents to libraries in applying for E-rate discounts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Finally, the FCC
should
consider actions to require service providers to connect their networks
to
schools and libraries at speeds that support access to advanced
services, as
authorized under the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Since advanced
services to schools and libraries are not universally available 12
years after
enactment of the Act, ALA concludes that targeted, proactive actions
should now
be undertaken and included as an integral component of the National
Broadband
Plan.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">###<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="text-align: right;" align="right"><span
style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Contact:
<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:jterry@alawash.org"
target="_blank">Jenni Terry</a><br>
Press Officer<br>
ALA Washington Office<br>
202-628-8410<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
<img alt="Portland State University logo"
src="cid:part1.06040400.09010804@pdx.edu" align="left" height="35"
width="165"><br>
<br>
<p
style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Suzanne
L. Sager<br>
Library East, Cataloging<br>
Portland State University<br>
<br>
503-725-8169<br>
503-725-5799<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:sagers@pdx.edu">sagers@pdx.edu</a></p>
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