Mentor Nets could begin with schools that have little or no Internet access, and simply go from there. But teachers who went to college when electric typewriters were a luxury may be less familiar with cutting-edge computer technology. We want all Oregon teachers to be able to get their students on the New Oregon trail. That means that we're going to have to put more focus on the training of teachers in the advanced uses of technology and computers. A second obstacle to the development of the trail is a lack of competition in the telecommunications marketplace.
Economic competition is, of course, the lode stone of the American economy.
Certainly, the history of the computer revolution is one of fevered and productive entrepreneurial combat. The United States Congress voted in the last session to spur competition in the telecommunications marketplace with passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The Act was intended to eliminate monopolies, spur new entrants, and bring down prices. In the very near future, the United States Senate is going to be opening hearings and looking at how to get the new Telecommunications law on track. I can tell you that I am personally very troubled about the fact that you open up your paper almost every week, and you read about some new telecommunications mega-merger.