No way should the institutional availability of a particular service become an excuse for not eventually providing that service to homes. The new universal service provisions of the telecommunications act expand upon, but do not replace, the commission's universal service goals under the 1934 communications act. Affordability is a concept which must be income-sensitive and flexible. Institutions will serve as a gateway to allow individuals far greater access to these services than they would otherwise receive. Institutional access is an efficient use of scarce universal service resources.
Institutional access is a highly efficient use of telecommunications resources.
Institutions are ideally situated to provide fundamentals training, skills building, information exchanges, and technical support. Institutions may be useful as centers to incubate new technologies. Therefore, Joint Cementers urge the Commission and Joint Board to promote institutional access to what can be identified as the next generation of telecommunications services.