Monday, November 16th, 2009
By Eli Evans, Reporter-Researcher, BroadbandCensus.com
WASHINGTON, November 16, 2009 – A working group of the non-profit U.S. Broadband Coalition on Friday released a report in which the group called for the federal government to “play an active role in stimulating adoption and use of advanced broadband connections.”
The group, one of six committees of the U.S. Broadband Coalition – which had gathered more than 160 organizations to push for a national broadband strategy – presented its finding at the Federal Communications Commission, after introductory remarks by Blair Levin, director of the FCC’s national broadband plan.
The coalition’s leadership spoke very positively about the prospects of inter-industry cooperation and identifying points for possible improvement. But the group generally avoided specifics about what should be done to fix these problems. The FCC’s Levin pointed out, “Our work is about gathering data…we’re not talking about solution sets right now, we’re putting that off until December.”
The U.S. Broadband Coalition presented its report on September 24, 2009, but the Adoption and Use Working Group sought further time to collect its thoughts into an extensive 54-page report on the subject.
In addition to promoting federal involvement in broadband adoption, the group urged “federal and state support should include programs, grants,...
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Monday, September 28th, 2009
By Christopher Naoum, Special Correspondent, BroadbandCensus.com
ARLINGTON, Va., September 28, 2009 – “Beer and Broadband Mapping” was the informal name appended to a spirited and lively discussion that capped the first day of the Telecommunications Policy Research Conference here at George Mason School of Law on Friday, September 25.
Blair Levin, executive director of the Federal Communication Commission’s Omnibus Broadband Initiative and a keynote panelist at the Friday evening event, joked that the real intelligence among those academics would be among those spending their Friday night talking about broadband data.
The discussion, which was sponsored by The Benton Foundation, BroadbandCensus.com and the New America Foundation, began at around 8:30 p.m., and lasted for nearly an hour and a half. Many notable academics from TPRC, and from the Obama administration, attended the session.
Charles Benton, chairman of the Benton Foundation, began the discussion by noting the importance of broadband data disclosure, which he had emphasized in his opening statement at the U.S. Broadband Coalition on Thursday, September 24.
Drew Clark, executive director of BroadbandCensus.com, followed by presenting the company’s public and transparent map of Columbia, South Carolina, that shows broadband speeds, technologies, and providers It is available at
BroadbandCensusMaps.com. Clark referenced the major change...
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Thursday, September 24th, 2009
By Andrew Feinberg, Deputy Editor, BroadbandCensus.com
WASHINGTON, September 24, 2009 - A national broadband strategy must take steps to stimulate adoption and use of technology at a variety of levels, said a report by the U.S. Broadband Coalition, which presented the report at the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday.
The coalition, a non-profit organization made up of more than 160 organizations that provide or depend on broadband services, came together to push for a national broadband plan in mid-2008.
The release of the group's report is the culmination of 18 months of work that predates the passage of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act when the coalition issued a "call to action" to organize and create a national broadband strategy.
FCC broadband czar Blair Levin welcomed the group's comprehensive report. Facts needed for the commission to construct a national broadband plan are "not in the record...and not at the FCC," he said.
If the government is to invest in broadband, there must be a "level of clarity...a level of certainty...about those facts," Levin cautioned. And when it comes to data and facts, the FCC needs help gathering facts to fulfill its charge from Congress, he said: "I have to tell you, we don't have that."
Keeping...
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Saturday, April 4th, 2009
By Cody Williams, Special Correspondent, BroadbandCensus.com
WASHINGTON, April 4, 2009 – Among the commentators weighing in on the Commerce Department’s broadband technologies grants on April 1, several suggested that programs should be able to meet multiple needs as part of the $7.2 billion in broadband stimulus funds being offered.
The comments are available on the web site of the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, at
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/broadbandgrants/comments.cfm
Brad Bowman of Access Delray, based in Gulfstream, Florida, championed municipal Wi-Max, specifically in the 3.65 GigaHertz (GHz) band. Bowman states that America should cut the cord and go wireless as much as possible, and go straight to municipalities. He said, “It is a fact that there is no room for a middle man in the offering of core network access and services as evidenced by Earthlink’s and AT&T’s retreat from the Muni-Wireless marketplace.”
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/broadbandgrants/comment.cfm?e=88EB9581-8025-40EA-B81A-13A50B707C9E
Gene Stone of Rabbit Internet Services, states that he “would prefer that NTIA grants not require 20% funding by those receiving grants.”
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/broadbandgrants/comment.cfm?e=8CF86ADB-1B70-4124-A9D9-75D0C060ADE8
Charles Benton, of the Benton Foundation, said that the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program should focus on projects that will enhance long term economic opportunity, and not just short-term jobs. Multi-purpose projects can help...
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Saturday, January 10th, 2009
BroadbandCensus.com Executive Director Drew Clark to Co-Chair Working Group with Robert Atkinson of Information Technology & Innovation Foundation; Other Groups Announced
Press Release
WASHINGTON, January 10, 2009 - The National Broadband Strategy "Call to Action" on Friday announced the co-chairs of six working groups that are seeking to craft national policies to help promote universal broadband throughout the United States.
BroadbandCensus.com Executive Director
Drew Clark will co-chair the working group on "Metrics" together with
Robert Atkinson, President of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.
Since its launch in January 2008, BroadbandCensus.com has been at the forefront of ensuring that information about local broadband deployment, competition, speeds and quality of service is available and publicly usable.
The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation think tank has been been a key player in the effort to formulate and promote public policies advancing technological innovation and productivity.
The National Broadband Strategy initiative has has been described as "an unprecedented display of consensus, a broad and diverse array of groups concerned about America's broadband future," and an effort aimed at "providing President-elect Obama and the incoming Congress a policy framework for a comprehensive national broadband strategy."
The Working Group on "Metrics" has the following charge:
Timely, accurate,...
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