Announcement: Online Seminar on Universal Service

[Gene Hastings <hastings@psc.edu>]

  For Immediate Release
  August 26, 1996
  For information contact:	Robert Carlitz
  				Executive Director, Information Renaissance
  				mailto:rdc@info-ren.pitt.edu
  				(412) 624-9257
  
  
  An Internet First: Seminar on Universal Service/Network Democracy
  
  
  Information Renaissance is hosting a five week on-line seminar on the
  provisions of the Telecommunications Act which deal with Universal Service
  for schools and libraries August 26. The seminar will address the Act's
  potential billion dollar a year subsidy for internet access for K-12
  education, libraries and rural health care. The Act, passed last February,
  represents the first major revision of the 62 year old law.
  
  For the first time teachers and librarians can be fully involved through
  online participation in the discussion regarding what technology is needed
  in local schools and libraries. Practitioners with hands-on experience
  using network resources will be able to communicate their successes and
  their needs to federal policy-makers. Summaries of the online discussions
  will be submitted to the FCC for use in their decision about how students
  can best be served by the new Telecommunications Act.
  
  The Universal Service/Network Democracy Seminar represents an important
  first for Network Democracy on the internet. The two-way nature of current
  high-speed data networks allows them to be used both as a means of
  disseminating information and of obtaining input from thousands of people
  at remote sites around the country or around the world. The Universal
  Service Seminar will bring together grass-roots practitioners of
  networking technology in our nation's schools and libraries with experts
  on telecommunications law and networking technology. The resulting synergy
  should maximize their impact upon our nation's educational infrastructure.
  
  The seminar begins August 26 and runs through September 27. Complete
  information on the seminar and registration forms are available from the
  Information Renaissance Web site:
  
   	http://info-ren.pitt.edu/universal-service
  
  Major funding for the seminar is provided by The Heinz Endowments and the
  BellSouth Foundation with additional support from NYNEX and Pacific Bell.
  
  Information Renaissance is a Pittsburgh nonprofit corporation which
  promotes the development of regional networking infrastructure in support
  of education, community development and economic revitalization.
  
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