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