So, let’s imagine that your company name has become a verb. Lucky dog! You’ve just reported revenues of $5.52 billion for the quarter ending June 30, 2009 – despite the global economic downturn. You’re a key player in the search engine market. You operate a Web browser. Your Gmail service gives users more than 7,300 MB of free storage and you’ve found a clever and popular way to map the Earth. How do you top that? Well, if you’re Google, you extend your reach just a little bit farther to see if you can shake things up in the operating system (OS) realm.
In early July, Google revealed that it is developing a free, open-source, Linux-based operating system that is using the Web as its primary development platform. The fast, lightweight OS will carry the same “Chrome” moniker as the company’s Web browser and when it debuts some time in 2010, it will join OS giants like Linux, Apple Leopard, and Microsoft Windows. Chrome will run on standard x86 chips and ARM chips, and Google is working with companies like Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and Toshiba to bring Chrome OS-compatible devices to market.
Chrome is not Google’s first foray into the OS arena. Android, the company’s mobile OS, runs on the G1 phone from T-Mobile. Though there will be some overlap, Google intends to keep both systems with an eye toward market segmentation. Android, as the company explained in a recent blog post, is designed “to work across a variety of devices from phones to set-top boxes to netbooks.” Chrome OS is “being created for people who spend most of their time on the Web, and [it] is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems.” The company also reports that it is “going back to basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.”
But will it?
Critics of Chrome say Google has brand power, but lacks driver ecosystem knowledge and the type of customer support staff that an OS requires. There are also privacy concerns. Undoubtedly, Google has given these and other criticisms a great deal of thought, so Chrome OS is not likely to end up as just another heap of code on the R&D scrap pile. Google knows that Chrome has promise, and the idea of using the Web as the primary development platform seems to build on the master plan of cloud computing. This, of course, raises an interesting question: Given the way people have embraced cloud-centric e-mail and social networking, is the Internet the future of the operating system? Stay tuned. Google may very well have the answer.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
States Compete for Efficiency and Opportunity – via Technology
This fall, all 50 states will have the opportunity to find help (in the form of cash grants) from the federal government to assist in developing their own authorities to map broadband availability. These federal grants are also available to assist in addressing broadband supply, demand and uptake rates in households, businesses and major community institutions in each state. Known as the Broadband Data and Improvement Act of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), between $1.3 and $3.8 million is available to each state depending on the competitiveness of their grant applications.
Why is this so important to citizens? Broadband deployment enables better access to health care and educational opportunities, while also enhancing economic competitiveness – among countless other benefits. For the first time, governments in all 50 states will be able to take a good look at how they interact with citizens as they contemplate greater broadband availability.
Here are some examples of how greater access to government services could help citizens:
Better, Faster, Cheaper is a new Web site of the Harvard University Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation, and aims to provide a forum for government officials to post best practices. There is currently a very robust ongoing column about technology and government, well worth perusing.
On his way out of office, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack worked with legislative leaders to develop an “Office of Lean” in the Department of Management. The goal of this initiative is to identify and eliminate wasteful or overlapping spending – saving money for the citizens of Iowa while simultaneously improving services. The bonus? Participating government departments are given the option to retain up to 50 percent of the identified savings.
Last year, Utah’s state government transitioned to a four-day work week and opted to close public buildings on Fridays. They realized an immediate annual savings of $4 million in energy costs alone. Utah has now moved more than 850 services to the Internet. According to state CIO Steve Fletcher, it has been very successful with citizens.
So again – how can technology help? ARRA grants across America will jump-start broadband and enable states to deploy this infrastructure faster; it will be a sight to behold when more private, government and nonprofit initiatives are funded to deploy broadband. This will also assist community anchor institutions (schools, libraries, hospitals, etc.) to become part of statewide broadband networks – whether these networks are run by government, nonprofit or private sectors.
We are witnessing a paramount shift in how governments deliver services – driven wholly by technology. But when you really boil it down, the citizens will also have a tremendous impact on the new and fresh ideas of how this will actually come to fruition. How can technology make your state government greener? How can technology reduce the cost of government? How can citizens find government more transparent with broadband access? These are your questions – but are they being directed to your government?
Why is this so important to citizens? Broadband deployment enables better access to health care and educational opportunities, while also enhancing economic competitiveness – among countless other benefits. For the first time, governments in all 50 states will be able to take a good look at how they interact with citizens as they contemplate greater broadband availability.
Here are some examples of how greater access to government services could help citizens:
Better, Faster, Cheaper is a new Web site of the Harvard University Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation, and aims to provide a forum for government officials to post best practices. There is currently a very robust ongoing column about technology and government, well worth perusing.
On his way out of office, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack worked with legislative leaders to develop an “Office of Lean” in the Department of Management. The goal of this initiative is to identify and eliminate wasteful or overlapping spending – saving money for the citizens of Iowa while simultaneously improving services. The bonus? Participating government departments are given the option to retain up to 50 percent of the identified savings.
Last year, Utah’s state government transitioned to a four-day work week and opted to close public buildings on Fridays. They realized an immediate annual savings of $4 million in energy costs alone. Utah has now moved more than 850 services to the Internet. According to state CIO Steve Fletcher, it has been very successful with citizens.
So again – how can technology help? ARRA grants across America will jump-start broadband and enable states to deploy this infrastructure faster; it will be a sight to behold when more private, government and nonprofit initiatives are funded to deploy broadband. This will also assist community anchor institutions (schools, libraries, hospitals, etc.) to become part of statewide broadband networks – whether these networks are run by government, nonprofit or private sectors.
We are witnessing a paramount shift in how governments deliver services – driven wholly by technology. But when you really boil it down, the citizens will also have a tremendous impact on the new and fresh ideas of how this will actually come to fruition. How can technology make your state government greener? How can technology reduce the cost of government? How can citizens find government more transparent with broadband access? These are your questions – but are they being directed to your government?
Friday, July 24, 2009
Disability Should Not Mean Disconnected: Recasting Lifeline/Link-Up Programs
The Internet is sometimes described as “the great equalizer,” capable of overcoming most barriers in the delivery of resources and services to an ever-expanding spectrum of people and organizations. The importance of universal Internet access and the ability to use broadband-enabled information and services is made explicit in the core purposes of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA, section 6001). In addition to providing support to ensure access and stimulate demand for broadband in unserved and underserved areas, public safety agencies, job-creating strategic facilities and anchor institutions (such as schools, libraries, and medical facilities) the ARRA funds target organizations and agencies serving vulnerable populations. In ARRA documents and the related Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP), the term “vulnerable” includes those whose Internet access and use is limited due to “low income, unemployed [and] aged” conditions. While persons with physical disabilities are not expressly referenced in the BTOP Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA), they have been singled out for special attention in draft legislation previously submitted to reform federal broadband programs (Benton Foundation example, Hearing Loss Web example).
The Federal Communications Commission, with funding from the Universal Service Fund, administers the Lifeline/Link-Up programs to address telecommunications needs of qualifying low-income citizens. Historically, the Lifeline/Link-Up programs provide discounts for initial installation and activation of telephone services over publicly-switched telephone networks. More recently, discounts have been extended to include wireless services in select areas. As broadband becomes more important in the delivery of basic services, some are arguing that it is time to reform these programs and their funding sources in order to subsidize broadband and Internet-based services. The need to transform the Lifeline/ Link-Up programs to provide broadband service is especially acute in among disabled citizens, where the percentage of persons with Internet access is reported to be only half that of the general population.
North Carolina has long been an advocate and active partner in extending voice service to those who qualify for Lifeline/Link-Up program assistance. Lifeline subsidies subtract $13.50 monthly from the telephone bills of qualifying customers. Of this amount, $10 is the federal portion paid directly to service providers; the remaining $3.50 is treated as a tax credit that offsets corporate state taxes accrued by service providers. According to Hugh Gerringer with the N.C. Utilities Commission, approximately 126,000 customers in North Carolina received Lifeline subsidies on their phone bill even though nearly 500,000 families qualify. Many of the state’s low-income citizens are also disabled. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 21.1 percent of individuals in North Carolina who were 5 years of age and older were identified as having a disability; this figure that is slightly higher than the overall 19.3 percent found in the national population. Among adults age 65 and older, this figure is 45.7 percent.
The e-NC Authority is developing a proposal in response to the available ARRA broadband funding to pilot a program that will adapt the Lifeline/Link-Up programs to support broadband service for low-income and disabled populations in North Carolina. This proposed pilot program will include outreach and training initiatives targeting social service agencies serving as the gatekeepers for qualifying individuals. The pilot will also address training opportunities for those receiving services.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Where the CITIZENS come to ask questions…
Almost on a daily basis, the e-NC Authority hears from citizens that do not have broadband access. Their stories are often born from ongoing frustration with lack of service, being held back at work and school by not having service, and the experience they have had with telecommunications service providers.
When we correspond with citizens, we always try to gather information about their specific experience (ex. do they know others nearby without service, what their experience has been when contacting who they think would be the obvious service provider, how lack of service is affecting their life/home, etc.), but we also encourage them to write to their legislators about the issue. Often, we must also explain the nature of the telecommunications industry and its relationship with regulatory government. Once we gather information about the citizen’s home address and landline telephone number, we ensure that the citizen has contact information for their elected leaders in the N.C. General Assembly.
With address and home landline in-hand, we then forward that information to the closest service provider to inquire about if that citizen’s location is included in any known deployment plans. Getting this answer back from a service provider can take anywhere from a few days to several months. We always forewarn citizens that the e-NC Authority does not hold regulatory authority and that getting information back from the service provider about their specific location can often take a long period of time.
The content of the correspondence is something to behold. From time to time, we plan to post that content to this blog. Here are a few. (Specific information from citizens and their service provider has been removed to protect privacy.)
-----
Hello, I live three miles from the local university and cannot get broadband. I am a professional therapist and my wife is a professor at the college. A neighbor up the road gets broadband, but apparently we are too far from the source. We are supposedly about the same distance away from the other transfer station, so we will likely never get broadband. Help!
I have had (the telecommunications company) come and check the line on two separate occasions. They never let me know their findings until I called and was routed through several different branches of their service. Then I was told our house was too far away, with no explanation about why our neighbor who lives up the mountain received broadband services.
S.M., Jackson County
-----
I live in Graham County. For the last two years I have been struggling to get broadband service at my residence. I contacted (the telecommunications company) and they stated that DSL service was not available. After talking to the local technicians, they said it might be possible to get DSL. The current outcome is that the local employees want to provide the service and they say they could, but the upper management of their company did not want to provide a solution. I've called and talked to anybody in (the telecommunications company’s) chain of management that would listen to me. The higher up I go, the less they care about the situation and always more focus on profit issues.
My wife is a full time college student who is a distant learner and her university requires high-speed Internet for school work. She must drive either to the public library or her mother's house to have Internet access. I know of many more residents in my area and in Graham County who would like broadband service to better themselves. It seems my efforts alone will not get the ball rolling, so if there is any help or guidance that e-NC can provide would be greatly appreciated. If this helps any I am a Disabled Veteran, a former Marine, who is still serving (in a public service job) and in the U.S. Army reserves. All I am asking for is for something that many take for granted.
K.T., Graham County
-----
I took an early retirement package from a newspaper in November and established a business at my home. I have been severely hampered by having only slow, dialup Internet at home. Many Web sites I need to use for research will not open here. PDFs are also very slow to open, if they open at all. Often, I write on my laptop and then drive six miles to another town to e-mail my article to my customer. One offer of regular editing work was rescinded in part because of my "connectivity issues."
Everything I do takes much, much longer than it should. This is a real burden in my business. I live in eastern Stokes County. (Telecommunications company) is my phone provider; they will not bring DSL to my house, even though they have it north of here. (Another telecommunications company) is the local cable provider; they told me I am "unserviceable" even though they come near our road. Someone I met who lives in a remote area of Stokes County right on the Virginia line recommended (a satellite company), but they said that they will not serve my area.
I have a (telecommunications company) air card for my laptop, but their service is not strong enough in my house to use the air card. Once, I wrote an article in my laptop and, because it was raining, had to drive to the top of a nearby hill just to send it out by e-mail. This is not a very good way to run a business.
I e-mailed all my state representatives and some others who I had been told were on crucial committees about rural broad-band back in the winter. I received not a single reply. If there is anything I can do to help this process along, please let me know.
L.B., Stokes County
When we correspond with citizens, we always try to gather information about their specific experience (ex. do they know others nearby without service, what their experience has been when contacting who they think would be the obvious service provider, how lack of service is affecting their life/home, etc.), but we also encourage them to write to their legislators about the issue. Often, we must also explain the nature of the telecommunications industry and its relationship with regulatory government. Once we gather information about the citizen’s home address and landline telephone number, we ensure that the citizen has contact information for their elected leaders in the N.C. General Assembly.
With address and home landline in-hand, we then forward that information to the closest service provider to inquire about if that citizen’s location is included in any known deployment plans. Getting this answer back from a service provider can take anywhere from a few days to several months. We always forewarn citizens that the e-NC Authority does not hold regulatory authority and that getting information back from the service provider about their specific location can often take a long period of time.
The content of the correspondence is something to behold. From time to time, we plan to post that content to this blog. Here are a few. (Specific information from citizens and their service provider has been removed to protect privacy.)
-----
Hello, I live three miles from the local university and cannot get broadband. I am a professional therapist and my wife is a professor at the college. A neighbor up the road gets broadband, but apparently we are too far from the source. We are supposedly about the same distance away from the other transfer station, so we will likely never get broadband. Help!
I have had (the telecommunications company) come and check the line on two separate occasions. They never let me know their findings until I called and was routed through several different branches of their service. Then I was told our house was too far away, with no explanation about why our neighbor who lives up the mountain received broadband services.
S.M., Jackson County
-----
I live in Graham County. For the last two years I have been struggling to get broadband service at my residence. I contacted (the telecommunications company) and they stated that DSL service was not available. After talking to the local technicians, they said it might be possible to get DSL. The current outcome is that the local employees want to provide the service and they say they could, but the upper management of their company did not want to provide a solution. I've called and talked to anybody in (the telecommunications company’s) chain of management that would listen to me. The higher up I go, the less they care about the situation and always more focus on profit issues.
My wife is a full time college student who is a distant learner and her university requires high-speed Internet for school work. She must drive either to the public library or her mother's house to have Internet access. I know of many more residents in my area and in Graham County who would like broadband service to better themselves. It seems my efforts alone will not get the ball rolling, so if there is any help or guidance that e-NC can provide would be greatly appreciated. If this helps any I am a Disabled Veteran, a former Marine, who is still serving (in a public service job) and in the U.S. Army reserves. All I am asking for is for something that many take for granted.
K.T., Graham County
-----
I took an early retirement package from a newspaper in November and established a business at my home. I have been severely hampered by having only slow, dialup Internet at home. Many Web sites I need to use for research will not open here. PDFs are also very slow to open, if they open at all. Often, I write on my laptop and then drive six miles to another town to e-mail my article to my customer. One offer of regular editing work was rescinded in part because of my "connectivity issues."
Everything I do takes much, much longer than it should. This is a real burden in my business. I live in eastern Stokes County. (Telecommunications company) is my phone provider; they will not bring DSL to my house, even though they have it north of here. (Another telecommunications company) is the local cable provider; they told me I am "unserviceable" even though they come near our road. Someone I met who lives in a remote area of Stokes County right on the Virginia line recommended (a satellite company), but they said that they will not serve my area.
I have a (telecommunications company) air card for my laptop, but their service is not strong enough in my house to use the air card. Once, I wrote an article in my laptop and, because it was raining, had to drive to the top of a nearby hill just to send it out by e-mail. This is not a very good way to run a business.
I e-mailed all my state representatives and some others who I had been told were on crucial committees about rural broad-band back in the winter. I received not a single reply. If there is anything I can do to help this process along, please let me know.
L.B., Stokes County
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Broadband on Jones St. & National ARRA update
As we head into July, we are likely looking at the last few weeks of the N.C. General Assembly’s legislative session. So, what’s happened? As far as broadband legislation, several bills have made it into law, primarily those supported by the telecommunications service providers.
HB135/SL 2009-80 – Broadband Service Providers
This bill allows companies that already provide broadband to expand their service areas for voice service. This was signed into law on June 11.
SB889/SL 2009-202 – Utilities/Carrier of Last Resort
This bill allows for local exchange companies to, in some cases, be granted waivers of their carrier of last resort obligations for certain subdivisions and other defined areas. This was signed into law on June 26.
HB1180/SL2009-238 – Consumer Choice and Investment Act of 2009
This bill decreases regulation on local exchange companies in their provision of voice service. This was signed into law on June 30.
SB357– Utilities/Regulation of Pole Attachments
This bill requires municipalities and membership corporations to allow the use of their poles, ducts and conduits by communications service providers and authorizes the North Carolina Business Court to resolve disputes around use. This bill was ratified July 2 and is now waiting to be signed into law.
So with the final budget still in limbo – the session is not over, but these are some of the key broadband bills that have made it into law, or are at least headed in that general direction.
So what happens now? The state budget is expected to pass in the next couple of weeks. The e-NC Authority expects to retain much of its recurring operating funds so that we may continue to keep our doors open for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. Unfortunately though, the latest versions of the budget do not contain funding for broadband-related grant programs as requested by the e-NC Authority. We are still pushing for funds that could be used as match for grant applications on broadband projects forthcoming from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
And in other big news…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce released the Notice of Funding Availability this week for the RUS Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) and NTIA’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP).
In North Carolina, the Office of Economic Recovery and Investment has been holding meetings of its Broadband Task Force (although the state does not have direct input on funds distributed by RUS and NTIA). At the next meeting of the group in July, Connected Nation’s online maps of North Carolina are to be presented.
In other big happenings, CenturyTel and EMBARQ announced this week that they have completed their merger, impacting 33 states. And last month, Verizon Communications announced the sale of its landline service in 14 states, including in North Carolina. Meanwhile, AT&T continues to focus on build-out of its mobile 3G wireless network.
HB135/SL 2009-80 – Broadband Service Providers
This bill allows companies that already provide broadband to expand their service areas for voice service. This was signed into law on June 11.
SB889/SL 2009-202 – Utilities/Carrier of Last Resort
This bill allows for local exchange companies to, in some cases, be granted waivers of their carrier of last resort obligations for certain subdivisions and other defined areas. This was signed into law on June 26.
HB1180/SL2009-238 – Consumer Choice and Investment Act of 2009
This bill decreases regulation on local exchange companies in their provision of voice service. This was signed into law on June 30.
SB357– Utilities/Regulation of Pole Attachments
This bill requires municipalities and membership corporations to allow the use of their poles, ducts and conduits by communications service providers and authorizes the North Carolina Business Court to resolve disputes around use. This bill was ratified July 2 and is now waiting to be signed into law.
So with the final budget still in limbo – the session is not over, but these are some of the key broadband bills that have made it into law, or are at least headed in that general direction.
So what happens now? The state budget is expected to pass in the next couple of weeks. The e-NC Authority expects to retain much of its recurring operating funds so that we may continue to keep our doors open for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. Unfortunately though, the latest versions of the budget do not contain funding for broadband-related grant programs as requested by the e-NC Authority. We are still pushing for funds that could be used as match for grant applications on broadband projects forthcoming from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
And in other big news…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce released the Notice of Funding Availability this week for the RUS Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) and NTIA’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP).
In North Carolina, the Office of Economic Recovery and Investment has been holding meetings of its Broadband Task Force (although the state does not have direct input on funds distributed by RUS and NTIA). At the next meeting of the group in July, Connected Nation’s online maps of North Carolina are to be presented.
In other big happenings, CenturyTel and EMBARQ announced this week that they have completed their merger, impacting 33 states. And last month, Verizon Communications announced the sale of its landline service in 14 states, including in North Carolina. Meanwhile, AT&T continues to focus on build-out of its mobile 3G wireless network.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Technology Reuse: New life for old computers
Many of us have been environmentally conscious for years. We faithfully sort through our trash to unearth newspapers, glass, aluminum cans, and plastic bottles. We take old clothes to Goodwill Industries, buy organic and tend a compost pile in the backyard. But when it comes to that old computer sitting in the hall closet and those ancient monitors gathering dust in the attic, it is difficult to know what to do.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “In 2007, discarded TVs, computers, peripherals (including printers, scanners, faxes), mice, keyboards and cell phones totaled about 2.5 million tons” of waste. When this electronic waste, or e-waste as it’s commonly known, is disposed of improperly, substances like lead, mercury, cadmium and brominated flame retardants can end up in landfills. Fortunately, there are environmentally-responsible disposal alternatives that can benefit our communities.
First, open your phone book and call a nonprofit – as there are scores of them nationwide that collect donated, second-hand computer equipment. This equipment is often refurbished and offered free or at a low cost to organizations and individuals. This helps to bridge the digital divide in a major way. San Francisco’s City Youth Now has also found that donated laptops can positively influence the lives of some teenagers and young adults who have become involved with gangs and illegal drug activity. Here in North Carolina, the e-NC Authority is exploring how refurbished computers can be used to help economically-disadvantaged citizens gain access to the Internet.If you are looking to donate or acquire a refurbished or used computer, these organizations could be of assistance.
Earth911.com: Web site offering a searchable database of over 100,000 reuse/recycling centers nationwide.
EPA: The EPA’s Do the PC Thing offers helpful information about clearing data from your computer before making an equipment donation.
Goodwill Industries: Contact your local Goodwill to find out if the location accepts computer donations.
National Cristina Foundation: Accepts donations of used computer equipment from individuals and corporations, and then matches that equipment to non-profit organizations, schools, and public agencies that serve the disabled, at-risk students, and the economically disadvantaged.
Plug-In To eCycling: A partnership program between the EPA and electronic manufacturers, retailers, and service providers, which is designed to provide consumers with options for donating and recycling used electronic equipment.
Kramden Institute: Durham, N.C.-based nonprofit that refurbishes donated computers and awards them to economically-disadvantaged K-12 students in the Triangle area.
Purple Elephant Computer Factory for KIDS!: Raleigh, N.C.-based nonprofit that provides refurbished, operational, Internet-capable computers to individuals and organizations.
Recycles.org: Web site serving as a national and regional exchange network that connects prospective computer equipment donors with nonprofit participants.
TechSoup: Offers discounted and donated technology products to nonprofits. Web site also features a blog, Webinars, articles, discussion forums, and information about upcoming technology events.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Planning Broadband for the “New Normal”
In his recent conversation-starter essay, The New Normal, Ian Davis poses the question of “What comes next?” in terms of our current economic turbulence. Davis’ basic premise is that the current downturn is fundamentally different from recessions of the past, and that we are about to face a restructuring of known economic order. He states that the “new normal” will be shaped by a confluence of powerful forces – some arising directly from the financial crisis and some that were at work long before this all began. One-time factors such as the entry of women into the labor force and loads of new college graduates conveniently coincided with peak spending years of the baby boom generation – all helping to boost consumption-driven growth since the 1980s. It is clear that these forces will not predominate in whatever emerges. Rather, Davis says that the factors shaping the world economy of the near future are less leverage and more government.
We already see evidence of the effect these factors are having on efforts to stabilize the financial crisis and revitalize growth in the banking and financial services sector. In the arena where the e-NC Authority is most directly concerned (broadband deployment), decreased leverage is sparking a new wave of mergers and acquisitions, delays in equipment upgrades and new deployments and reduced investment in product R&D. Countering these negative trends is another that makes us cautiously optimistic: increased interest in broadband at the highest levels of federal government through targeted investment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
On Feb. 17, 2010, at long last, a national broadband plan will be delivered to Congress by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). As its primary goal, this plan will espouse ubiquitous and affordable broadband access. On May 22, 2009, acting FCC chairman Michael, J. Copps made an important down-payment toward the national plan with the release of the report Bringing Broadband to Rural America. This report fulfills a requirement of the June 2008 Farm Bill that the USDA and the FCC submit a rural broadband strategy to Congress. Other critical federal broadband legislation includes the ARRA that will provide funds to map the current broadband footprint and help fund network deployment to unserved and under-served communities, and the October 2008 Broadband Data Improvement Act that requires the FCC to deliver an annual status report to Congress that benchmarks progress toward ubiquitous broadband access.
Highlighted recommendations contained in the Rural Broadband Plan include:
- Improve coordination among federal agencies and with stakeholders to better harmonize broadband agendas and working definitions – leverage broadband dollars across federal agencies and improve communication via an improved Web site
- Assess and address broadband needs thorough accurate mapping, education and training to stimulate demand – and provide subsidies to increase penetration while decreasing the cost of deployment
- Overcome challenges through consideration of universal services reform, network openness, spectrum access, middle mile and speed access reforms, inter-carrier compensation, access to poles and rights-of-way and tower studies
- Monitor and adjust the plan through annual status reports to Congress
In support of a national vision for broadband, acting FCC Chairman Copps harkens back to other instances where leadership and vision were successfully employed in the face of considerable opposition – and those adventures ended up delivering critical infrastructure that catalyzed and sustained economic growth. Think about it – he’s right. U.S. Postal Service. Transcontinental Railroad. Interstate Highway System. Rural Electrification and its spin-of, the Rural Telephone Cooperatives. All then of course, the Internet itself. All of these initiatives represent transformative public investments whose development depended on a strong and coordinated national vision. We agree with Copps’ statement that it is time for the United States to meet the challenges of the 21st century with universal broadband deployment. Whatever our collective “New Normal” turns out to be, we will be better prepared to meet it if we are all connected.
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