Pacific Bell to Connect 7,400 Schools Through Computer, Video Network

California students could debate each other from opposite ends of the state via live television under a $100-million campaign to move public schools and libraries onto the “communications superhighway.”

Pacific Bell announced Monday that it will wire nearly 7,400 public schools, libraries and community colleges in its service territory for computer communications and “video-conferencing” by 1996.

The company said it would spearhead a consortium to provide the service to all other California public schools and libraries by the year 2000.

“By offering a base-line capability to access information from anywhere in the world and engage in interactive distance learning, we will be providing every public school and library an on-ramp to the communications superhighway,” said Pacific Bell President Phil Quigley.

If the plan is approved by the state Public Utilities Commission, Pacific Bell will wire targeted schools and libraries and waive the usage charges for a year.

With the service, teachers and students could gain access to the latest research from libraries or computer databases without leaving their classrooms. Students in different cities could use “video conferences” to work on projects together or take the same classes.