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Low Income Access Suit Wins in Ohio
``` Date: Tue, 1 Nov 94 11:00:49 -0800 From: kec@stubbs.ucop.edu (Karen Coyle) Subject: Low Income Access Suit Wins in Ohio
MAKING THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY ACCESSIBLE TO LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES: A NEW APPROACH IN OHIO
On September 20, 1994, after months of litigation and negotiations, parties representing consumer interests and Ameritech Ohio announced a settlement in the Ameritech Ohio Alternative Regulation Case. The agreement must be approved by the Ohio Public Utilities Commission before it goes into effect.
The agreement is significant because, for the first time in this country the settlement of a case before a state public utility commission provides for the funding of community computer centers in low income neighborhoods. The funding of these centers represents a small but important breakthrough in making the national information infrastructure accessible to people of all incomes.
The settlement provides for 2.2 million dollars to create and fund 14 community computer centers throughout Ohio. Centers will be located in Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton, Toledo, Akron, Youngstown, and Marietta.
The centers will bring together hardware, software and network access in tutorial and workshop atmosphere. They will be staffed by experts in community outreach and computer technology, will be open in the evenings and will be located in places easily accessible to the low income communities they will serve.
In addition, the settlement provides for the creation of an 18 million dollar fund to allow schools to purchase computer network equipment and services over the next six years. Low income school districts will receive priority access to those funds.
The agreement also contains several provisions which will make it easier for low income people to get and keep basic phone service. Presently, 20% of low income renters and 10% of all low income families in Ohio do not have a phone.
Under the agreement, recipients of most public assistance programs will be eligible to receive an $8 per month reduction from their monthly phone bill and will be able to establish new service without a deposit or service connection fee. 600,000 families will qualify, 100,000 of which don't presently have phone service.
All residential phone customers will also benefit from a significant reduction in residential phone rates. Typical home phone rates will go down by $2.80 a month, phased in over a five year period.
The Edgemont Neighborhood Coalition, a nonprofit neighborhood development corporation located in Dayton, Ohio, was the primary advocate for the community computer centers contained in this settlement. The coalition was represented by the Legal Aid Society f Dayton, Ohio. Other parties to the settlement include the Office of Consumer's Counsel and the American Association of Retired People.
Contact: Ellis Jacobs, Litigation Director and Counsel for the Edgemont Neighborhood Coalition Legal Aid Society of Dayton, Inc. 333 West First Street, Suite 500 Dayton, OH 45402-3031 Phone: (513) 228-8088 Ext. 111 HN1142@handsnet.org ```
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