Date: Tue, 6 Feb 1996 08:33:47 -0600 Reply-to: LEHMAN@ics.uwex.edu From: "Rosemary Lehman" [LEHMAN@ics.uwex.edu] To: Multiple recipients of list [desien-list@uwex.edu] Subject: DESIEN - News from Milwaukee On February 5, Sona K. Andrews, Assistant Vice Chancellor of UW-Milwaukee wrote: News from UW-Milwaukee for DESIEN UW-Milwaukee has created a Distance Infrastructure Committee to coordinate distance education activities on their campus. Thus far the Committee has focused their attention on assessing the distance education courses in Business and Library Science that are being transmitted from Milwaukee this semester and creating a campus checklist for coordinating an overseeing distance education course. The campus check list is designed to ensure that proper planning and reporting of distance based instruction is carried out as effectively as possible. We plan on sharing the results of the Committee's work with DESIEN when our work has been completed later this Spring.

Date: Tue, 6 Feb 1996 08:34:06 -0600 Reply-to: LEHMAN@ics.uwex.edu From: "Rosemary Lehman" [LEHMAN@ics.uwex.edu] To: Multiple recipients of list [desien-list@uwex.edu] Subject: Telecom Bill Passes Telecommunications Bill Information from Wislrntec ListServ: **Please Post for Widest Possible Distribution in the Education Community** The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is very pleased to provide the following announcement: ********************************************************************* Congress Passes "Telecommunications Act of 1996" By overwhelming majority votes, the United States Senate (91 to 5) and House of Representatives (414 to 16) today passed telecommunications reform legislation including specific provisions to ensure "affordable telecommunications access" for America's schools and libraries. The primary benefit of this legislation to schools and libraries will be in reduced telecommunications rates estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to be worth $3 billion per year in reduced operating expenses (i.e., cost avoidance.) The education community's telecommunications coalition (i.e., including almost every national professional education association in America) worked very hard to obtain affordable access to telecommunications services for students in elementary/secondary schools and for patrons of public libraries over the last 2 years. In both houses of the Congress and in the telecommunications conference on their two versions of this telecommunications reform legislation, the education community succeeded in: 1. preserving all aspects of the Snowe, Rockefeller, Exon, Kerrey language [See "Universal Service--Section 254(h)((1)(B)"] which primarily provides for --- a. access to the NII for schools and libraries, b. discounted rates that are affordable for schools and libraries, and c. support for access where rates would otherwise be unaffordable (e.g., in universal service plans for remote rural areas); 2. retaining the INQUIRY provision [See "Advanced Telecommunications Incentives--Section 706(b)" as originally offered by Senator Burns of Montana] which establishes a mechanism for periodic review and modification of Federal and State telecommunications regulations as needed to ensure that "advanced telecommunications capability is being deployed to all Americans (including in particular, elementary and secondary schools and classrooms) in a reasonable and timely fashion" ; and 3. retaining provisions that recognize and encourage a non-governmental foundation to help support development of telecommunications infrastructure for schools and libraries as originally offered by Senator Mosely-Braun of Illinois (i.e., See the "National Education Technology Funding Corporation--Section 708.) All three of these major education access provisions are now part of this historic, new "Telecommunications Act of 1996". [For specific language, see pages H1078-H1136, Vol. 142, No.13, of the Congressional Record, dated Wednesday, January 31, 1996.] ******************************************************************** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Robb Fons -- Program Director, Technology Planning Center For Educational Leadership and Technology 165 Forest Street Marlborough, MA 01752 (508) 624-4877 ext. 1214 (508) 624-6565 fax

 

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Date: Tue, 6 Feb 1996 09:36:31 -0600 Reply-to: LEHMAN@ics.uwex.edu From: "Rosemary Lehman" [LEHMAN@ics.uwex.edu] To: Multiple recipients of list [desien-list@uwex.edu] Subject: Re: Telecom Bill Passes Steve Siehr of UW-Madison has several analyses of the new Telecommunications Legislation: one from a Washington law firm, another from a Consulting Group and a third - an article from the New York Times. We have asked him to forward these to the DESIEN-List to provide a wider perspective. The legislation is available at http://bell.com/ Rosemary Lehman ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Dear Desien: I know that the Telecommunications Bill is/was very controversial, and a number of people in education and the private sector were strongly against it. Since you have posted this very "pro" piece by a person who may be unknown to most of us, could you please also provided a list of pros and cons for those people who would like to be more informed on the particulars of the bill. I know I would really appreciate it. Thank you. Cara Chell Office of Academic Affairs UW System Administration

 

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Feb. 06 - Analysis of Telecom Legislation

 

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Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 10:14:03 -0600 Reply-to: LEHMAN@ics.uwex.edu From: "Rosemary Lehman" [LEHMAN@ics.uwex.edu] To: Multiple recipients of list [desien-list@uwex.edu] Subject: Re: Update on National Information Infrastructure -Reply Forwarded Feb.. 8 message from the DEOS-ListServ: (NOTE: Ken Salomon has written several legal columns for the UWEX Distance Education Clearinghouse and has also been a guest speaker, via audioconference, for several of the ICS Compressed Video Advanced Workshops, speaking on technology and legal issues - Rosemary Lehman.) From: Ken Salomon KSalomon@dlalaw.com There really isn't that much to report, but here's an update on the status of the NII. Several months ago, the NII Working Group on Intellectual Property Issues released its final report (the White Paper), proposing a number of amendments to the Copyright Act to make it applicable to the NII. Included in its recommendations were revised definitions of transmit, publish and distribute to make clear that these activities, which are the exclusive right of the copyright owner, can be accomplished by electronically sending a digital copy of a work via the superhighway. The White Paper made other recommendations, including permitting libraries discretion to make a limited number of digital copies of copyrighted works for archiving and preservation. The White Paper also discussed NII intellectual property issues but made no legislative recommendations. One of these discussions of most interest to educators was the Working Group's conclusion that BBS and on line service providers should not be exempted from liability for copyright violations, invasion of privacy and libel and slander even if they do not exercise any editorial control over their subscribers. Legislation implementing the White Paper's recommendations was introduced in the House and the Senate, although some of the sponsors made clear that the legislation was a starting point for the debate and would be amended before being enacted into law. A joint House-Senate hearing was held last fall. Today and tomorrow, a House Judiciary Committee panel holds further hearings on the bill. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration released a report last fall on NII privacy issues. It proposes a new regime for "telecommunications related personal information" of subscribers. It is based on service provider disclosure of its personal information collection and use and subscriber consent to the use. It can be downloaded from NTIA's home page (NTIA.DOC.GOV). The home page will also provide information about NTIA grant programs like the NII-related Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program. Kenneth D. Salomon Dow, Lohnes & Albertson a professional limited liability company Washington, D.C. KSalomon@dlalaw.com