(no subject)
Ken Sutton (kensut@crlc.org)
Tue, 23 Dec 1997 11:22:06 -0500
Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 11:22:06 -0500
Message-Id: <v03110705b0c595f0e206@[209.66.136.44]>
From: Ken Sutton <kensut@crlc.org>
To: Multiple recipients of list <conntech>
Title: Lawmakers Raise Concerns About Internet Subsidies
Source: New York Times/CyberTimes
<http://www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/week/122397fcc.html>
Author: Associated Press
Issue: Universal Service
Description: Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Thomas J. Bliley, Jr. (R-VA) are
raising concerns that subsidies for schools, libraries and rural health care
providers to hook up to the Internet were not publicly debated before
regulators adopted them last week. The two politicians have requested that
the Federal Communications Commission provide them with the information
involving communications that lead up to the Dec. 16 decision. The decision
was that the FCC will slow the phasing-in of universal service to these
three areas through an approximate one-third cut in funding. FCC
Commissioner Harold
Furchgott-Roth dissented from the decision last week on the basis that it
wasn't publicly debated. But FCC Chairman William Kennard rejected those
grounds saying that the new subsidies were sufficiently discussed and the
commission received more than 110,000 pages of public comments regarding the
proposed cuts. In a Dec 19 letter to the FCC by the lawmakers, they wrote
"The lack of public notice and participation calls into added question the
reasonableness" of the FCC's decision. The FCC has not commented on the letter.
Kenneth Sutton
Office Manager & Technology Coordinator
Capitol Region Library Council
599 Matianuck Avenue
Windsor CT 06095
Voice: 860-298-5319 ext 3001
FAX: 860-298-5328