The converging technologies of telecommunications, computers, and media are creating new businesses, new jobs, and new courses of study at technical and community colleges. Students need access to digital TV, multimedia, wireless, community server, public kiosk, and audience feedback technologies in order to become builders of future information infrastructure, a new national priority with local and regional economic development and community building potential. This project, which equips students in this area of advanced technological education, has been organized within the framework of a new networking communication (NetCo) curriculum that both draws upon and contributes to building rural community networks (CoNets). Some of the equipment for this project goes into college electronic labs, computer labs, and video production studios for NetCo students pursuing three study options: communication technology, multimedia software, and interactive television. Equipment can also be shared through links into and among rural communities, which make up a CoNet model. This model involves spread spectrum transceivers on antenna towers and public kiosks in various local sites. This CoNet model_impacting handicapped, elderly, young, and especially rurally remote families_includes new RAN (rural area network) wireless links among LANs, WANs and MANs. Mayors, school superintendents, teachers, librarians, county agents, and business people attended week-long summer workshops to learn how to initiate CoNets locally and regionally in 1995. In 1996-97, 60 faculty statewide can learn to use this equipment in support of NetCo curriculum.
