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FCC okays E-rate benefits for PSS
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Posted on Jul 21 1999
The Public School System’s application for the Federal Communication Commission’s Universal Service Program, also known as the educational rate (E-rate), has been approved, a PSS official said yesterday.
Federal program coordinator Bill Matson said PSS has been notified by federal authorities that the CNMI’s forms have been accepted, and that the “funding letter” would be out soon.
The E-rate program subsidizes the electronic communication expenses of schools and libraries in the United States. Under this program, FAA would shoulder up to 80 percent of the schools’ communications costs, including Internet and phones bills.
Matson said PSS, as well as other education agencies in the insular areas of the U.S., will get a 66 percent subsidy, which is retroactive to July 1.
In the CNMI, Matson said, the schools will get a collective instead of individual subsidy.
“Let’s clarify that this doesn’t mean extra money to PSS,” Matson said. “It only means that somebody else is paying partly for the schools’ telecommunication bills.”
Matson said PSS is also preparing for the possible enactment of the legislation that seeks to require the installation of blocking software in public school computers.
This software filters materials “deemed inappropriate for minors” such as those found in pornography and hate web sites.
This legislation, entitled Safe Schools Internet Act, provides that education agencies and public schools that accept E-rate money would be mandated to install the blocking software in their computers to prevent students from reaching pornography and hate sites.
“We haven’t heard anything about that since the US House passed it last month,” Matson said. “It’s not a law yet but we’re expecting it to become one so we have to be ready.” (MCM)
