Updated 2/95 PACIFIC BELL FILES FOR EDUCATION ACCESS RATE: KNOWLEDGE NETWORK ISDN Pacific Bell has asked the California Public Utilities Commission for approval to offer a special discount rate for schools, libraries, colleges and universities. Called Knowledge Network ISDN, the proposed service would provide public and private schools, kindergarten through higher education and libraries with digital service with flat rate usage. The proposed price is $77.58 a month using Centrex access or $71.97 a month using Business Line access. The proposed price includes all local, ZUM and Pacific Bell service area usage. ISDN is a high-speed communications line that enables schools and libraries to engage in applications of interactive learning using data and video. "Educational institutions and libraries will benefit from a flat rate service like the one we have proposed," says Michael Powell of Pacific Bell's Knowledge Network team. "We believe this rate will make it easier for schools and libraries to be active users of electronic learning applications using data and video." KNOWLEDGE NETWORK ISDN CUSTOMERS The Knowledge Network ISDN rate will be available to schools and libraries covered in Pacific Bell's offer of one year of free ISDN service. Those institutions are: Public K-12 schools, private, non-profit K-12 schools with enrollments of 100 or more students, libraries, and Community colleges. In addition, degree-granting Colleges and universities will be able to but Knowledge Network ISDN at the proposed flat rate price. To qualify, colleges and universities must be recognized by the state of California, the California Post- Secondary Education Commission and the Council for Private Post-Secondary and Vocational Education. USES: VIDEO & DATA The new rate functions at 128 kb/s and is for non- administrative use. Powell says, "It will be provisioned to classrooms, computer laboratories or other instructional facilities for instructional use, as well as to libraries for its users. Knowledge Network ISDN will provide economical access for qualified schools and libraries for such services as Internet access and video conferencing." QUICK FACTS + There are no restrictions on the number of Knowledge Network ISDN lines a qualified customer may order. However, Knowledge Network ISDN is for instructional applications of data and or video. + There is no estimate on when the CPUC will make a decision on Pacific Bell's request. The Advice Letter from Pacific Bell was filed on January 27, 1995. + Pacific Bell's Education First initiative is aimed at helping equip and connect California's schools and libraries to the communications superhighway. The initiative got underway in December with submission packages going out to some 8,600 schools, libraries and community colleges. EDUCATION FIRST DEMONSTRATION SITES To showcase Education First, Pacific Bell and more than 20 other technology vendors have equipped 11 schools and libraries as demonstration sites where government, business, and education leaders can see and learn how electronic learning applications can improve the educational process. The demonstration sites also will serve as incubators for developing technology applications, training packages, and curricula for adoption by other Education First participants. San Diego State University's College of Education will assist in applications development, and special projects will be developed in cooperation with organizations such as the Exploratorium in San Francisco and with public television stations KCET in Los Angeles and KQED in the Bay Area. The Education First demonstration sites are: Bloomington Junior High in San Bernardino County, Bryant Elementary in San Francisco, Century High in Santa Ana, Juarez-Lincoln Elementary in Chula Vista, Los Angeles Harbor Community College in Wilmington, Martin Luther King Middle School in Seaside, Monterey County, McLane High School in Fresno, Mendocino School District, Pasadena Central Library, Sacramento Public Library, and West Valley Community College in Saratoga, Santa Clara County. EDUCATION FIRST HIGHLIGHTS Here are some of the key elements of Education First: + Providing free digital service for one year supporting telecomputing and interactive telelearning applications. Schools and libraries have until December, 1996 to sign-up for the offer. + Providing up to four ISDN lines per school or library: - One line for (data) telecomputing. Note: An extra line may be provided if a school or library chooses to use a hub architecture. - Up to three lines for (video) interactive telelearning. + For the ISDN lines: - Free installation, - No monthly or Pacific Bell usage charges for one year, and - Free inside wiring from the telephone closet to the telephone jack for up to two rooms per school or library. + Knowledge Network ISDN pricing for more affordable telecommunications connectivity for all schools and libraries in the state. + Connecting schools and libraries to the Company's broadband network as it is deployed. + Negotiating with vendors to achieve substantial hardware and service discounts for schools and libraries. + Expanding the partnership with the Detwiler Foundation for placing donated computers in the schools. + Expanding its partnership with the Detwiler Foundation for placing donated computers in the schools. - To donate computers, please call 800-939-6000 - To receive computers, please call 619-456-9045 - E-mail: ddetwiler@electriciti.com + Fielding dedicated resource teams to work with schools and libraries to help them fully utilize their new telecommunications opportunities. EDUCATION FIRST Questions & Answers Q 1) What services are covered by the Education First offer? A 1) ISDN. Q 2) What applications does the offer support? A 2) The Education First offer supports data and video applications. Schools and libraries may receive one ISDN line for telecomputing and from one to three ISDN lines for interactive telelearning. The number of lines for the video application is dependent upon hardware purchased by the customer. Q 3) Who qualifies for the Education First offer? A 3) Public schools, private, non-profit, K-12 schools, public libraries and community colleges. Q 4) Are there any restrictions on how the applications are used? A 4) The service is for use by students and teachers for learning applications, not for administrative uses. The data and video applications may be used for other reasons as long as the primary use is being met. Q 5) Are there restrictions on where the ISDN lines can be installed? A 5) The ISDN lines must terminate at a bonafide learning location such as a classroom, school library, computer lab, media lab, etc. Q 6) May customers use the value of the Education First offer as a credit on their Pacific Bell bills? A 6) No. At no time will credit be applied relative to existing wiring or a customer's preference for other products and services. Q 7) What category of wiring is provided under the Education First offer? A 7) All wire will be category three. Category 3 more than adequately supports ISDN data and video applications. If the customer wants Category five, they are responsible for ordering and paying for it. Q 8) Who is responsible for structure? A 8) Structure is the responsibility of the customer per the regular CPUC tariff. Q 9) Will Education First customers be covered by any Inside Wire maintenance plans? Q 9) All sites for which we commission and install inside wire for ISDN will be put on the Inside Wire maintenance plan which will be free for the one year under Education First. Q 10) Explain the COAX component of the Education First offer? A 10) COAX wiring will be deployed by Pacific Telesis Video Services (PTVS) as the broadband network is deployed: Pacific Bell will deploy one lead drop from the neighborhood node to an Education First customer site. PTVS will provide COAX wiring to two rooms post-broadband deployment. Q 11) What happens to a customer already using ISDN? A 11) Customers using ISDN for telecomputing and/or interactive telelearning will receive the service for free under the terms and conditions of the program. Pacific Bell will negotiate a start date to appropriately change the billing for the one year of free service. Q 12) Must customers provide video equipment on a 1:1 basis? A 12) No. The ratio may be 2:1 which would allow two sites to share the same video equipment. Q 13) The Education First offer includes a fifth line of ISDN for customers choosing a hub architecture for Internet access. Are there any restrictions on hub selection? A 13) Yes. Agreement on the identified hub location will be contingent upon distance, availability of facilities and overall comparative costs to Pacific Bell. Q 14) If a customer orders Centrex service in association with the Education First ISDN offer, is the Centrex service establishment charge covered? A 14) No. Centrex service establishment charges are the responsibility of the customer. Q 15) Are long distance charges outside of Pacific Bell's service area covered under Education First? A 15) No. Usage charges for interexchange carrier services are the responsibility of the customer. Q 16) Do vendor discounts apply to all schools and libraries or just Education First customers? A 16) Vendor discounts negotiated for Education First customers, of course, apply to all takers of the offer. Any other discounts or special terms and conditions would need to be worked-out on an individual basis between vendors and customers. Q 17) What special procurement process has been established for schools and libraries to buy equipment at the Education First prices? A 17) None at this time. The Education First team is working on this. Q 18) Can customers receive services from both Education First and CalREN? A 18) Yes. They are separate programs. If a school is a CalREN recipient for ISDN and applies for Education First, they will receive their free year of service for Education First and the remainder of their CalREN grant beyond the initial 12 months. If the customer is a CalREN recipient of services other than ISDN, the customer may also apply for the Education First offer as both programs are separate and discrete. Q 19) When does the Education First offer expire? A 19) Schools and libraries have until December 31, 1996 to submit an application and qualify. Provisioning of the ISDN service and program support will continue beyond the application deadline date. Q 20) How will you determine which applicants get Education First - first? A 20) The submission process begins with a first come, first serve basis. However, those schools that are equipped and ready to take advantage of Education First and located near Pacific Bell offices with ISDN, will most likely be first for deployment. Deployment at ready schools and libraries located at a distance from offices with ISDN, will vary based upon negotiated deployment arrangements and be discussed with the local account team. Q 21) What is the process for a school or library to obtain the Education First offering? A 21) Pacific Bell is mailing submission packages to eligible schools, libraries and community colleges. Submission packages will first go to the district offices and county offices of education. Packages will not be sent to schools where the district makes such a request. We will do two mailings a year. Customers must fill-out a two-page submission form and return it to us. A deployment coordinator will review the form and work with the submitting schools and libraries to ensure the necessary equipment and support are covered prior to wiring school sites and installing ISDN service. In addition, we will be holding regional workshops for schools and libraries on the benefits and specific requirements of the Education First offer. Customers may also call our 800 number which is 1-800-901- 2210. Q 22) Do all eligible educational institutions have access to ISDN? A 22) Pacific Bell's ISDN service is offered throughout the state. However, because some locations currently have ISDN in their town or neighborhood and for others it's coming, we'll need to negotiate installation dates in some cases. This means we will locate the nearest ISDN serving office and determine how and when linkages can be made. Because of the need to coordinate inside wiring, installation of equipment, site planning, etc. along with installation of ISDN service - we don't see this as a major obstacle to serving our Education First customers. Q 23) Are other services besides ISDN, for example Frame Relay, included in the Education First offer? A 23) The service being offered as part of Education First is ISDN. ISDN is a digital service supporting both high speed data and video on a dial-up basis. Because Education First is designed to help schools and libraries get started on the communications superhighway, ISDN offers a lot of capability and flexibility. For those schools with existing networks, ADN for example, or where special applications and/or usage requires other services, Education First may serve to complement those situations. For example, a district using frame relay for Internet access may want to deploy ISDN for dial-up video conferencing or multimedia applications. Q 24) What will happen to customers currently using ISDN for telecomputing and/or interactive telelearning applications? A 24) These types of customers requesting the Education First offer will receive free service for one year. However, there will be no retroactive credit. KNOWLEDGE NETWORK ISDN Q 25) What is the Education Access Rate schools will pay after the first year of free ISDN service? A 25) Pacific Bell has filed an Advice Letter with the California Public Utilities Commission asking to offer a new ISDN service called Knowledge Network ISDN priced at: CENTREX ACCESS: FLAT RATE W/PACIFIC BELL USAGE OF $77.28 BUSINESS ACCESS: FLAT RATE W/PACIFIC BELL USAGE OF $71.97. The price includes flat rate usage for all data and video calls within Pacific Bell's service area. Q 26) Who qualifies for this special rate? A 26) The Education First customers; schools, libraries and community colleges plus accredited colleges and universities. Q 27) Are their restrictions on how Knowledge Network ISDN must be used? A 27) Yes. Knowledge Network ISDN is for classroom applications of data and video not administrative applications and not for voice calls. Q 28) When will the new rate take effective. Q 28) The issue is currently before the CPUC. We don't have an estimate as to when the Commission will make a decision. WANT TO LEARN MORE? NEED SUPPORT? SIGN UP FOR ONE OF OUR WORKSHOPS This Workshop will provide: A description of Pacific BellŐs Education First initiative The benefits of networking An introduction to and demonstration of Telecomputing and interactive telelearning ISDN The Internet Application form walk-through and direction for additional resources TARGET AUDIENCE: TECHNOLOGY OR NETWORK COORDINATORS Because seating is limited, we request only one attendee per institution or school district. Material will be available to take back! Locations Date(s) Time(s) Anaheim (W. Harbor Pl) 4/20, 5/24 9:30-12:00 4/5, 5/3, 6/7 9:00-11:30 & 1:00-3:30 Los Angeles (Wilshire Blvd.) 3/22, 3/23, 4/6, 4/20 9:00-12:00 5/10, 5/24, 6/7, 6/21 9:00-12:00 San Francisco (Third St.) 3/16, 4/26, 5/18, 6/1 9:30-12:00 San Ramon (Camino Ramon) 5/17 9:30-12:00 Sacramento (Watt Ave) 3/14, 4/19, 5/18, 6/20 9:30-12:00 San Diego (B St.) 4/6 9:00-11:30 & 1:00-3:30 4/18, 5/2, 5/16, 5/23 9:30-12:00 6/6, 6/13, 6/20 9:30-12:00 Santa Clara (Lakeside Dr.) 5/10, 5/31 9:00-11:30 & 1:00-3:30 To request a seat (no later than two weeks prior to workshop date) call our Call Center: 1-800-901-2210 (or) Complete the back of this announcement and Fax to: 1-800-556-9256 You will receive a confirming letter and map by fax or mail with either the date you requested or the next available date in the location requested (seating is limited and is "first come first served"). WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE! VENDORS Pacific Bell has contacted a number of ISDN equipment vendors and asked them if they would like to participate with us in the Education First program. A large number of these have agreed to work with Pacific BellŐs Education First program and have offered substantial discounts to the schools and libraries on their products and services. Pacific Bell is developing a list of these vendors for distribution to the schools and libraries which will show their products, discounts and single-point-of-contact for direct sales to these institutions. This list will continue to evolve throughout the life of the Education First initiative. ENDORSEMENTS - United States Distance Learning Association - Industry Council for Technology in Learning - California Library Association - California Media Library Educator's Association - Association of California School Administrators "Educational technology, including the information superhighways, will be a major assets in helping schools meet the needs of our students as we move toward the 21st century. Pacific Bell's generous contribution will provide a much- needed boost to our efforts to link schools to the information superhighway and the many rich educational resources it offers. We hope the plan announced today will inspire other businesses to participate in the effort to ensure that our schools are ready to take full advantage of the superhighways once the on-ramps have been build." - Dave Dawson Acting State Superintendent of Public Instruction "Pacific Bell's initiative for the schools is one of those rare business gestures that transcends corporate image building and demonstrates recognition that a strong education system is essential to California's social cohesion and economic strength. We greatly appreciate Pacific Bell for helping us move immediately in the direction of using new technologies as we prepare for the turn of the century." - David Mertes Chancellor, California Community Colleges "This is a tremendous opportunity for public/private collaboration that will allow California public libraries to become full participants in the National Information Infrastructure." - Gary Strong California State Librarian "Pacific Bell has responded strongly and rapidly to Vice President Gore's challenge to the private sector for bringing the information superhighway to our nation's classrooms. As a result, California schools will have the opportunity to become models of interactive learning." - Linda Roberts Special Advisor on Education Technology to the U. S. Secretary of Education APPLICATION/DEPLOYMENT PROCESS: 1. Receive application package from Pacific Bell's mailing to all public K-12 schools, public libraries, and community colleges or call the Education First Call Center to receive an application package. 2. Fill out the Education First application form. We suggest you consult with your district Technology Coordinator as you complete this form. If you are applying on behalf of a district, you will need a separate application form for each school or library site. 3. Send/fax application form to Pacific Bell. 2600 Camino Ramon Room 3S302 (or) 800-556-9256 4. Pacific Bell deployment coordinator assignment and review. 5. Pacific Bell deployment coordinator contacts applicant within four weeks of receiving application. 6. Discussion/negotiation of Education First initiative and customer requirements. 7. Pacific Bell Systems Design Consultant discusses network design and action plan with customer. Customer signs the ISDN Service Confirmation letter. 8. Implementation/installation. INVALUABLE RESOURCES... Building The Future: K-12 Network Technology Planning Guide Copies can be purchased by contacting: Department of Education, Publication Sales 1-800-995-4099 EDUCATION FIRST CALL CENTER: 1-800-901-2210 The Call Center allows you to: + Hear the most current information on the Education First initiative + Receive: - Fax-on-demand documents - General Information - Application Package (as soon as it is approved by the CPUC) + Request information to be mailed to you + RSVP to workshops and events + Request live call backs "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." - William Butler Yeats