Electronic media accessibility has come a long way since the Telecommunications Act of 1996. In 2010, the Communication and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) mandated closed captioning many online videos and called for making video blind accessible through audio descriptions. The Department of Justice (DOJ) ruled Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)…

This article explores the historical relationships between libraries, policy, and politics in the United States. Far too often, policy and political discussions related to libraries have little historical context. While libraries have long viewed themselves as a pillar of democracy by supporting informed, educated, and engaged citizenry, political…

In its role helping the nation's schools connect to the Internet and other telecommunications services, the "E-rate" has been among the most consistent of federal programs. Funding for the "education rate" program has held at about $2.25 billion a year since it was created under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and it covers…

This report includes examples of how Universal Service Fund support is used by beneficiaries across the country. Included in this version are approximately 140 success stories of how the Universal Service Fund is helping to improve connectivity in the United States. This report is updated quarterly, as Universal Service Administrative Company…

August in the U.S. capital is typically quiet. Congress is in recess, and most bureaucrats choose this hot steamy month for their vacation. In a normal year, serious legislation is put off until September; in a close election year such as this one, it is put off until "after the elections." This year, with the exception of agency…

E-Rate is a U.S. federal funding program for providing discounts for telecommunications, Internet access and internal networking costs for schools and libraries to ensure access equity across poor and rich, rural, urban and suburban areas, and highly served and underserved areas. This paper examines the impact of the E-Rate program on social…

A panel of 16 school administrators from 8 states developed this draft application for discounted school telecommunications services as part of efforts to advise the Federal Communications Commission on rural implications of the implementation of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The application is split into a seven-page cover application to be…

New digital technologies and the rapid growth of the Internet are restructuring communications systems and transforming education and the economy. Noting that many of the resulting telecommunications policies will be made at the state level, this publication provides guidelines for child advocates to influence state policy regarding children's use…

In the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congress directed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish the Universal Service program to provide financial support for communications services for all K-12 schools/libraries. A Washington telecommunications attorney discusses eligible services and the application process, and offers tips…

This document provides the text of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, legislation enacted "to promote competition and reduce regulation in order to secure lower prices and higher quality services for American telecommunications consumers and encourage the rapid deployment of new telecommunications technologies." The legislation contains…

Universal service discounts for libraries and schools were promised by the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, but actually obtaining the discounts may prove difficult. This article examines obstacles to library qualification: eligibility requirements, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rulings, the application process, and…

With the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the pace of regulatory change related to telecommunications increased exponentially. The impact on rural areas is significant; the issues specific to southern states and communities are unique. This paper begins with a chapter on the importance of telecommunications technology to rural…

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) appointed a Joint Board to recommend changes in existing FCC rules to fulfill the regulatory mandates of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The Joint Board, which consists of three FCC commissioners, four State commissioners, and one consumer advocate, issued its recommendations to the FCC in a 500-page…

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 constitutes a major overhaul of telecommunications law and will have a major impact on rural residents, communities, schools, libraries, and hospitals. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is requesting comments from "the grassroots" about telecommunications issues and concerns of greatest…

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to include support for advanced telecommunications--such as the Internet and computer networking--for elementary and secondary schools, public libraries, and nonprofit rural health care providers among the Universal Service Fund (USF) mandates. In its plan, the…