Stevens Point Area Catholic Schools
presents:

Wisconsin Advanced Telecommunications Foundation

Foundation Information
Wisconsin, Leading the Way

Wisconsin prides itself on being a leader in using telecommunications to increase government efficiency, provide opportunities to rural communities, and stimulate education and business development. In 1993, Governor Tommy Thompson's Blue Ribbon Telecommunications Task Force issued an early call to restructure state telecommunications regulations in light of new technologies and the emerging competitive marketplace.

The resulting legislation in 1994 -- Wisconsin Act 496 -- is a national model of a successful consensus approach to industry deregulation, consumer protection, and the encouragement of new infrastructure investment and advanced services deployment. In the environment created by Act 496, the new challenge for Wisconsin is to balance two sets of goals: ensuring multi-vendor competition and innovation to meet local user initiatives; and enhancement of access to and the interconnectivity of new advanced services.

Act 496 created a number of mechanisms to address these issues, including the creation of a public-private foundation -- the Wisconsin Advanced Telecommunications Foundation, hereafter referred to as WATF -- to support advanced telecommunications projects and efforts to educate telecommunications users about advanced services. The Legislature supplemented this industry-related program by the creation of an Educational Technology Board to provide cash and loan funding to address the information technology needs of public schools and libraries.


The Wisconsin Advanced Telecommunications Foundation (WATF)

Act 496 (at Section 14.28 Wis Stats.) created a unique public-private partnership to raise private sector, government, and foundation funds to build an endowment to support advanced telecommunications-based projects and efforts to educate the state's residents, businesses, and institutions about the benefits of advanced applications. The Legislature authorized an initial State Contribution of $500,000, conditioned upon private direct contributions of at least $1 million, and a fast start fund of at least $5 million (of direct or in-kind contributions) being established by the end of 1996.

The WAFT has the broadest of mandates, and may fund projects submitted by any person or organization (except telecommunications providers) that (1) establishes a clearinghouse to match funded with projects; (2) demonstrates new cooperative applications; (3) promotes the effective use of the State's telecommunication infrastructure; (4) educates telecommunications users, and (5) develops systems to create knowledge. Despite this broad range of possible activities, the WATF is directed [per section 14.28(3)(b)(2) Wis. Stats.] to give priority to schools with lower per pupil revenues.


Information and Applications

For further information about the The Wisconsin Advanced Telecommunications Foundation or the Educational Technology Board, or to receive grant application materials, send inquiries to:

Todd M. Penske, Executive Director
Wisconsin Advanced Telecommunications Foundation
3319 West Beltline Highway
Madison, WI 53714-4296
(608) 266-7878 (voice) (608) 266-1215 (fax)
(608) 266-1213 (TDD)

send e-mail now
tpenske@mail.state.wi.us