Here's another old and fading but occasionally serviceable memory. I was intensely interested in this issue and even attended a PSB hearing when it was being formulated. The cable companies tried to create some wiggle room for themselves with that single-user bit, but that is not what the agreement specified.

Unfortunately, we are served by Charter, so it did not help us at all. Charter always did give our schools free cable service. Big whoop.




Tommy Walz
Technology Coordinator
Barre Supervisory Union

>>> "Romond, Bill" <[log in to unmask]> 1/17/2008 11:29 AM >>>
Right Vince..... my understanding is the same as yours. I misinterpreted
what you said....

Thanks.... maybe two old memories are as good as one????

Secondary Transformation Team
Vermont Department of Education
120 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05620-2501
802-828-0064
[log in to unmask]
 

-----Original Message-----
From: School Information Technology Discussion
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Vincent Rossano
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 11:17 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: comcast service - free?

Bill,

Right, I believe, on both points. But when I said "they specified", I
was referring to the cable companies, who tried to get away with that at
first. At least, that's what I was told by one school that got the
service installed. Good that you clarified that; I may have misled some
people to believe that the PSB specified single use.

-Vince

>>> On 1/17/2008 at 11:06 AM, "Romond, Bill" <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> Vince is essentially correct from my (also aging memory!!!!)
perspective
> except for a couple of items:
>
>
>
> I do not believe this specification is in the agreement: "And they
> specified that the service not be shared by multiple simultaneous
> users."
>
>
>
> Also, they are not required to provide the service to every school in
> the state - but only to those whose doors their fiber passes. I also
> think municipal offices are included.
>
>
>
> I will try to work with Peter Drescher, the new DOE Educational
> Technology Coordinator to see if we can dig up the actual wording of
the
> agreement.
>
>
>
> Bill
>
> Secondary Transformation Team
>
> Vermont Department of Education
>
> 120 State Street
>
> Montpelier, VT 05620-2501
>
> 802-828-0064
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: School Information Technology Discussion
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Vincent Rossano
> Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 10:06 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: comcast service - free?
>
>
>
> I'm sure there are those on the list who know more about this than I
do
> (or, at least, more than I remember), but my (poor) recollection is
that
> some years ago, as part of an agreement with the Vermont Public
Service
> Board, the major cable providers were required - in return for having
> monopolistic control of their particular regions - to provide schools
> with free cable access. I think this may have been before the
Internet
> service became available; at first it was just television. When
> Internet service was added by the cable companies, they were required
to
> include that as a free service to schools as well. Adelphia, like
the
> rest, really didn't want to do it, of course, so they were very
specific
> about where, how, and how many connections they would provide. And
> they specified that the service not be shared by multiple simultaneous
> users.
>
>
>
> Comcast inherited this PSB requirement and, when they first took over
> Adelphia's customers, sent out a form to all schools, I believe, (we
got
> one) describing their responsibilities in this regard and asking if we
> would like to take advantage for this service. We hadn't done so in
the
> past, but I thought it might be useful to have an additional
connection
> - for testing purposes if nothing else. But, though I slavishly
filled
> out their questionnaire and request to be contacted, no one ever did.
> Then I got busy with other things and didn't follow up. I'm sure
that's
> what they were hoping would happen.
>
> I think if schools request it, the cable companies need to provide at
> least minimal service to each school in the state. If you request the
> service and they don't provide it (and you are a bit more aggressive
> than I), a call to the Vermont Public Service Dept. might be
> appropriate.
>
>
>
> Or do I have this all wrong? (As I seem to have, more and more.)
>
>
>
> -Vince
>
>
>>>> Bill Clark <[log in to unmask]> 1/17/2008 9:07 AM >>>
>
> We recently were able to prevail upon Comcast in Williston to deliver
> free Internet to the little school house at the Williston Central
School
> (DSL is not available) .. I was surprised to see the latest invoice
for
> exactly $0.00 .
>
>
>
> Does anyone else have experience getting Comcast services delivered to
> school for free ? Any contact information ?
>
>
>
> I can see this as a worthwhile project if not TOO much red tape .. I
can
> imagine Comcast would not be too thrilled about providing free
service,
> but if the State of VT has reached a settlement, then they need to
> comply (or am I being naive ? )
>
>
>
> Bill Clark
>
> Austine School for the Deaf