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Home My WebLink About2000-10-19-CAC-min.pdf COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES 10/19/00 Present: members: Gharibian, chair, Ellis, Kanter, Marques, Warshawer,Taub, Buczkowski, Boucher, Becker, Kofoed, Greene guests: Gorham &Adam — Metricom, Grossman — RCN,Travers —Cablevision, Conroy Becocom 1. Minutes approved as presented — moved by Kanter, seconded by Warshawer 2. Greene appointed secretary for meeting 3. Metricom presentation — plans &network requirements; provided proposed right of way contract. CAC advised would want to know radiation levels and frequencies 4 Motion that Kanter take materials provided by Metricom to Town attorney for review and guidance. Moved by Greene, seconded by Warshawer 5. Kanter reported that Board of Selectmen approved transfer of Cablevision's license. 6. Committee discussed request by Museum of our National Heritage originally brought to committee by Jeanne Krieger, no new action, parties will meet on issue next week(see minutes of 9/21/00 #4) 7 Advised by Rob Travers, Cablevision &RCN to proceed with joint trenching — some details still to be worked out. 8. Miscellaneous items: Complaints— Kanter Cablevision contract extension: background &basic work in progress—Taub Antenna location status— Kanter Closed captioning: information received, more to be done—Gharibian SCOLA down for an indefinite period due to construction conflicts— Ellis Hookups for private schools: request received; research on issue to be done Ellis Cablevision —Travers (Transfer process: approved by all franchisees (Rewire: still in progress) RCN —Grossman (will be digital next year) (request for progress on hooking up two headends for access broadcasts made by CAC of both RCN &Cablevision) Next meeting — November 16, 2000 @ 5:45pm Meeting adjourned at 7.30 pm FROM THE GHPRIBIPINS PHONE NO. 617 862 2483 P61 Dear Steve,Jim and Rob(and I have copied Steve Ellis of our Committee who opened the discussion); The CAC is requesting that you report to us on your company guidelines on free hook-ups for private schools.We are interested in how they would apply to our two local schools* which are state approved under the Chapter '766,special ed statutes. We believe that they might qualify for free hookups under your Cable in the Classroom programs and would appreciate any clarification you could give us on your company's interpretation of the requirements for qualification. In addition,there are a number of other private schools in Lexington which would welcome hookups.Some hookups to private schools were requested earlier on before we wore aware of the FCC language excerpted below How do your companies look upon hookups to private schools in general? Do you have guidelines for acceptance or rejection of a particular kind of private school(for instance,full-time vs. part-time;religious vs.secular; targeted such as Hebrew or Chinese language which are after school 'schools',or Music Schools). The majority of the schools in Lexington would be non-profit entities. So,please,let us know how your company manages this type of request. Steve(Steve Ellis,Co-Director,Network and Data Services,Lexington Public Schools)has done some quick'web'research which follows under the dotted line below Let us know,please,how your company's policies apply Many thanks for your help in answering this question presented at our last meeting, Jane Jane B.Uharibian,Chair,Lexington Communications Advisory Committee 'Cotting School and Community Therapeutic Day School are"state approved" private schools A.FCC The FCC has encouraged connection of schools and libraries,including private schools through both the Universal service mechanism and via agreements with FROM THE GHRRIBIPINS PHONE NO. 617 862 2483 P01 cable companies. Here is a sample: Agreement with Cable company http://www.fcc.goviBureaus/Cable/Orders/1997/fcc91375.txt Extracted from that document: 2. Service to Elementary and Secondary Schools a. Comcast will provide a service connection at one outlet to each public school and to each private school(grades K-12)located within 200 feet of the activated plant of its cable systems. Such connections will be made free of charge and as promptly as possible to all unserved schools requesting such a connection. Upon request,Comcast will provide,at Cost, such a service connection to any other unserved K-12 public or private school located within its franchise areas but beyond 200 feet of the activated plant of its cable systems. If any internal wiring installation is requested to serve additional outlets in any school,it will be provided at Cost;provided,however,that such internal wiring will be provided without charge if Comcast is able to coordinate with other comparable electrical wiring installation in cases of new construction or substantial rehabilitation of existing schools in Comcast's franchise areas. Additional e4rpts: Universal Service.From http://www.sl.universalservice.orglapply/stepl.asp Who is eligible for universal service discounts? Public Schools,elementary and secondary Non-Profit elementary and secondary Parochial and Private schools (with endowments under$50 million) Public Libraries Many Private Non-Profit Libraries Accessible to the Public e 5.Cable Companies From http://www.att.com/partncrs/patWersl 00/fcature4.html: AT&T Cable In The Classroom Initiative. AT&T recently added cable to its list of communications services. Through the AT&T Broadband and Internet Services(ABIS)division, commercial-free educational cable programming and high-speed Internet access via @Home is provided to all public and private I{-12 schools and libraries nationwide within the AT&T Cable Services areas.The AT&T Learning Network supports these services by providing online resources to help educators integrate cable services and programming into their classrooms. From the"Cable in the Classroom" FAQ blip://www2.ciconline.org/section.cfm/2/l3,191S Q:What are cable companies providing to schools? A. Member cable companies are providing free installation and basic service to all public and state approved private schools passed by cable. They often provide complimentary subscriptions to Cable in the Classroom magazine and sponsor local and national contests and awards. Further,they work with schools to encourage effective use of television and online resources through workshops. And they keep teachers informed about new programs and teaching ideas.8,500 cable companies are members of Cable in the Classroom(serving 88 percent of the national cable television audience).As of July,2000,Cable in the Classroom members have connected more than 81,000 schools to cable, reaching nearly 44 million students across the country