Attendees: Jonathan Gallishaw, Bill Fiske, Mike Shaughnessy, Pam Christman, Joe Caparco, Mike Calabro, Sharon Hussey, Jim Monti

Approval of September 5, 2003 minutes -
Bill notes that he sent a request survey to districts for forecast for 2004 service
How will districts know if they are eligible for upgrades to cloud lines?
Members should understand that the pool funding for transport lines within the clouds is limited.
What is balance between internal lines and feed lines?
How to illustrate demand for big pipes in the cloud?

Motion to accept Minutes approved.

New Business
· Proposal for development of a RINET policy and procedure on discontinuance of transport lines

Bill presented his concern over the ad-hoc approach to the discontinuance process and his proposal that we develop a policy and process to track and report on discontinuance of lines.
At times this is due to customer facility problems, e.g., lack of electrical power. Need to communicate the start date for charges, both for transport lines and Internet Access. For example, what is earliest date you will be ready to pay for lines This becomes a problem for RIDE when there are multiple vendors. Mike notes that this is a general problem in the industry.
Copy disco notification to Bill. Take process into RINET with support from RIDE?
No formal proposal needed … but RINET will establish a parallel process to RIDE's to coordinate disconnection of lines and discontinuance of billing.

Unfinished Business
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Report

• Update to Projects Status
  
  
  • Educational Content - Pam questions stance of BOD on content because of the frequency of marketing directed at RINET - Jonathan and Jim feel that there is probably no-value add for RINET to do this; recommendation is to forward information on to RICOORD and RITTI, curriculum directors (? Will probably get forwarded to technology coordinators anyway.)
    
    
  • Bill - could the Universities be helpful in training curriculum and instructional staff in the districts to deal with instructional technology? SPED director, curriculum director, Math department head - those need to be targeted in the same way that the teachers have in the RITTI project. Perhaps RIDE Curriculum directors in selected areas (Math, Reading, etc.)
    
    
• Update on RINET-MUNI project - three regional briefings have been done; in general, well received; several have signed on; a large group have committed verbally and a few need more information. Any hesitation seems to be related to: we are already doing something, why would we do this, how is it different or simply not meeting with the right person. We have and will be doing site visits in those cases.

Discussion

• Methods of support for e-rate ineligible members -
  East Bay Collaborative and other schools and organizations not currently eligible or applying for e-rate subsidies won't be eligible for transport lines under RI Education fund, also, admin buildings may become a problem. Bill is still negotiating with PUC about rules, but wants to raise the potential for liability to the members in question.
  Are there parties interested in supporting these groups such as:
  Vendor foundations, grant sponsors, etc.
  The problem will be presented at E-rate workshop and RINET staff and Bill will personally inform those not attending with personal contact
  
  
• Implication of new RI universal fund and multiple suppliers on existing community networks
  Policy question - who makes decisions about transport service when additional costs to districts and schools are incurred by change of provider?
  
  
• Alternative sources of revenue for dial-up services - tabled for Worksession meeting of October 17
  
  
• Next Meetings

  October 17 - Worksession
  - Pricing Model for E-rate FY2004
  - Charges for video services
  October 31 - Business meeting
  - Proposed FY2004-FY2005 Pricing Schedule

Meeting adjourned at 11:20am.