FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
  August 2, 1999
  
                              
CHAIRMAN KENNARD ISSUES STATEMENT ON 5TH CIRCUIT'S UNIVERSAL
                       SERVICE RULING
                              
  Chairman William E. Kennard issued the following statement on July 30, 1999,
  concerning the 5th Circuit Court's Universal Service Decision released on that day:
                              
  
                              
Statement of FCC Chairman William E. Kennard on the Universal Service Ruling
     of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
                              
                       July 30, 1999
  
  Today's ruling validates the FCC's decision to connect all of America's schools and
  libraries to the Internet through the e-rate and is a victory especially for America's
  children.
  
  It is an endorsement of the bipartisan support that the e-rate program has enjoyed since
  it was passed by Congress in the Telecommunications Act of 1996. This decision is
  further proof of the vision of Senators Snowe, Rockefeller, Exon, and Kerrey, and of
  the leadership of Vice President Gore.
  
  Already, over one million classrooms have been wired to the Internet because of the e-
  rate. Now, we will move forward with our work to wire the remaining one-half of
  American classrooms that are unable to tap into the resources of the Internet. Soon, the
  opportunities that lie in these wires and web pages will reach all America's children  
  from the inner-city to the suburbs, from our largest metropolis to the smallest town.
  
  We are currently evaluating the details of the Court's decision, and are studying its
  implications for further FCC action.
  
  
                          - FCC -