Recommendations: 44, 45

Recommendation 44: We recommend to the Government and the Funding Bodies that, to harness and maximise the benefits of Communications and Information Technology, they should secure appropriate network connectivity to all sites of higher education delivery and further education colleges by 1999/2000, and to other relevant bodies over the medium term.

7.4 This recommendation is consistent with JISC’s strategy. In England all FE colleges which receive direct funding from the HEFCE are connected to the JANET network. In Wales, all FE institutions are linked to the JANET network. In Scotland there are proposals to connect all FE colleges to a high speed broadband network. The Government notes that the HE funding bodies will be asking JISC to continue to expand the network to relevant communities and, through improved monitoring of its use, to ensure that the network is funded and managed at a level appropriate to the needs of higher education.

Recommendation 45: We recommend that institutions of higher education, collectively or individually as appropriate, should negotiate reduced tariffs from telecommunications providers on behalf of students as soon as possible.

7.5 The Government welcomes the intention of the institutional representative bodies to take forward this recommendation in consultation with JISC and the Universities and Colleges Information Systems Association.

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