E-Rate Payments Delayed

[Karen Coyle]

It was reported yesterday in the NY Times, and today in Salon
   http://www.salon.com/tech/wire/2004/10/04/school_internet/index.html

that the FCC has "temporarily" shut down payments under e-rate due to a
change in the way the program is administered. Apparently, the FCC
claims that there was fraud due to lax accounting rules. Meanwhile,
schools and libraries are not getting their e-rate payments, and some
may even lose connectivity before this is straightened out. 

Also note that the total amount of e-rate money has been reduced because
the FCC put a cap on how much the phone companies must contribute. So
phone companies win, and schools and libraries lose. Anyone know any
teachers or librarians who made off with e-rate money and are living in
luxury on an island somewhere?
-- 
-------------------------------------
Karen Coyle
Digital Library Specialist
http://www.kcoyle.net
Ph: 510-540-7596 Fax: 510-848-3913
--------------------------------------