Click here to follow the Knight Center of Digital Excellence on Twitter.
According to a Pew Research Center Internet & American Life Project study, "The Mobile Difference," nearly 40 percent Americans have positive and improving attitudes about their mobile communication devices, thereby further immersing themselves into a more robust digital lifestyle.
Read more
We'll find answers to as many of
your questions as possible and
publish answers in a future issue.
Ask Us
How will broadband affect burgeoning controversies over health care? The answers to this question and more came courtesy of a Broadband Cenus-hosted, hour-long panel discussion. View a video of the discussion.
View Now
President Obama on Innovation and Sustainable Growth. President Barack Obama has new plans to strengthen the economy that will all favor people with hi-tech educations.
View Now
Elevate Miami, a comprehensive Digital Inclusion program launched by the city of Miami, aims to serve youth, low-income families, minorities, seniors and residents facing barriers to digital inclusion.
View Now
The Knight Center of Digital Excellence held its first Stimulus Webcast Session for Knight communities and program directors July 23. Watch it online now.
View Now
By pushing hard on broadband, lawmakers hope to close the "digital divide" that has long separated rural America. In doing so, they hope to give rural consumers access to the same sorts of high-speed services and opportunities - think telemedicine, distance-learning and Web-based commerce - that city dwellers have enjoyed for years.
View Now
|
Archive for September, 2009
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
If there was ever a notion that user demand for better broadband access would stagnate or decrease, subscriber data prepared by industry analyst Point Topic for trade group the Broadband Forum puts those thoughts to rest.
According to The Broadband Forum, the number of broadband subscribers around the world grew almost 17 percent from 381 million to 445 million over the past year. Individually, China leads all nations with 93.6 million subscribers, followed by the U.S. with 86.2 million. Japan, Germany and France follow with 31 million, 24 million and 18.3 million, respectively. Both China and the U.S. demonstrated the largest increase with China’s subscriber base growing by 17.7 million and the U.S. showing agrowth of 11.8 million. The report also found many subscribers are using DSL connections to log onto the Internet as it holds a 64 percent market share among connection types globally. While the Knight Center of Digital Excellence is glad to see the adoption of broadband – we’d like to see more robust connections than DSL provides. This is critical to support tomorrow’s applications.
The report also touched on significant growth in worldwide IPTV subscriptions. Latin America and Eastern Europe were the fastest-growing IPTV-subscriber regions over the past 12 months, with the amount of subscribers increasing by 270 percent and 86 percent, respectively. However, in terms of sheer numbers, Europe has emerged as the hub of IPTV activity, registering 13.6 million users with France alone contributing more than 7 million subscribers to that total. Overall, North America claims 5 million users, which represents nearly 20 percent of IPTV penetration worldwide.
At the Knight Center, we feel these numbers demonstrate worldwide demand for better broadband services is as strong as ever – and showing no sign of slowing down. Naturally, the types of numbers cited are always going to be a little skewed towards nations with the largest populations, but they also show a serious commitment by nations lagging behind in terms of broadband technology to try and catch up with world broadband leaders such as South Korea.
This type of growth also shows that broadband is truly emerging as the new platform for technology innovation on a global scale. For the U.S. to remain relevant in an ever-evolving global economy, it will need to make broadband development a priority.
Tags: broadband, Broadband Expansion, broadband subscribers, China, demand, digital, digital divide, DSL, Eastern Europe, England, France, Germany, high-speed, infrastructure, Internet, IPTV, Japan, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Latin America, network, North America, Point Topic, South Korea, The Broadband Forum
Posted in Digital news, broadband | No Comments »
Thursday, September 24th, 2009
After more than 18 months of discussion and debate, the U.S. Broadband Coalition released its report on a national broadband strategy at a meeting at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Sept. 24.
Led by President Jim Baller, who has served as a contributor to the Knight Center of Digital Excellence blog and e-newsletter, the nonprofit coalition includes large and small communications providers, technology companies, manufacturers, labor unions, educational institutions, utilities, consumer groups, public interest organizations, units of state and local government, and other stakeholders committed to our broadband future. (For a more detailed history of the coalition, read Baller’s guest viewpoint “The birth of a broadband coalition.”)
The 49-page report includes sections on opportunities that universal, affordable broadband connectivity could create; federal policy options designed to stimulate broadband investment, adoption, use, availability, progress assessments and accountability; and a general set of overall plan goals, which include:
• Every American home, business and public and private institution should have access to affordable high-speed broadband connections to the Internet.
• Access to the Internet should, to the maximum feasible extent, be open to all users, service providers, content providers and application providers.
• Network operators must have the right to manage their networks responsibly, pursuant to clear and workable guidelines and standards.
• The Internet and broadband marketplace should be as competitive as reasonably possible.
• U.S. broadband networks should provide Americans with the network performance, capacity and connections they need to compete successfully in the global marketplace.
In addition, there are sections detailing more specific narrative goals, timetables for where the coalition believes the U.S. should be in 2015 and 2020 in terms of speed and availability, and how topics such as open access, network management and competition should be handled.
According to Baller, very few groups were calling for a national broadband strategy at the time his began this effort in early 2008. The report, which also includes a complete listing of all coalition members, shows how important the discussion has become and how many have come to the table to be a part of it. With the FCC tasked to prepare a national broadband plan by Feb. 17, the coalition’s work could play a major part in how that document is formed.
However, the coalition isn’t finished yet. A final, more thorough report is scheduled for a Nov. 1 release.
Tags: Baller Herbst Law Group, broadband, Broadband Adoption and Use, Broadband Expansion, digital, economy, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, infrastructure, innovation, ISPs, Jim Baller, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, national broadband plan, open Internet, open network, U.S. Broadband Coalition
Posted in broadband, national broadband plan | No Comments »
Thursday, September 24th, 2009
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn’s vision for broadband Internet is simple: He wants to see world-class networks in every community.
That vision is moving closer to reality with the launch of the state’s pioneering public/private partnership between state and local governments, Norlight Telecommunications, Motorola and Royell Communications to bring high-speed, affordable broadband Internet service to rural Macoupin and Montgomery counties. Norlight will supply the infrastructure, Motorola the equipment and Royell the retail service. Wholesale service to existing Internet providers will also be available. Service is expected to be available in 2010.
Quinn said the pilot partnership, part of the Vince Demuzio Broadband Initiative, would ensure high-speed broadband Internet is offered in the two counties – even though they lack a large concentration of customers. The idea is that affordable broadband service will allow Macoupin and Montgomery counties to attract new kinds of capital to the region and stimulate economic development.
“The future of Illinois depends on our ability to use the latest in technology,” Quinn said during a recent speech announcing the partnership, “and I am proud to say the people of Macoupin and Montgomery counties will not be left offline. Everybody in, nobody left out – that’s my philosophy.”
As chairman of the Illinois Broadband Deployment Council, Quinn is hoping the Vince Demuzio Broadband Initiative project partnership represents the first of many more to come, especially as the state has been very active in planning for a broadband future. For example, the “Illinois Jobs NOW!” public works program includes $50 million for broadband deployment, while the state government has committed an additional $40 million to help fund 16 other broadband-based projects. (According to broadband.Illinois.gov, the $40 million in state-committed funding is conditioned on how much American Recovery & Reinvestment Act first-round broadband stimulus funding is obtained.)
At the Knight Center of Digital Excellence, we encourage our communities to seek new and innovative ways to ensure broadband Internet is provided to all citizens and utilized properly to maximize its benefits. Public/private partnerships are often the cornerstone to a successful community broadband initiative.
Tags: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, broadband, Broadband Expansion, Broadband Initiatives Program, Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, community, digital, digital divide, economy, high-speed, Illinois, Illinois Broadband Deployment Council, Illinois Jobs NOW!, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Macoupin County, Montgomery County, Motorola, network, Norlight Telecommunications, ommunity broadband initiative, Pat Quinn, Public/private partnerships, Royell Communications, rural communities, stimulus, underserved, Vince Demuzio Broadband Initiative
Posted in ARRA, Digital news, broadband | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009
In a recent webcast from the Brookings Institution, Federal Communications Chairman Julius Genachowski opened up on Net Neutrality, proposing new rules that would protect an open Internet on all wired and wireless networks.
The FCC has disciplined home broadband providers for traffic censorship in the past, but has never laid down a set of solid rules until Genachowski’s speech. Specifically, Genachowski spoke on measures that would prohibit discrimination of content or applications by Internet service providers and would ensure network management practices are transparent. His speech also touched on regulating how wireless companies carry Internet traffic to cell phones – an industry first.
Genachowski’s remarks come at a time when both the FCC is becoming more proactive in seeking input for a national broadband plan, and other Net Neutrality issues being discussed at both the private industry and government level. For example, the federal government is currently investigating Apple’s process for approving iPhone applications and the video game industry is going on the offensive against pushback from an AT&T suggestion that real-time gaming is an “aspirational service” and not a core broadband application.
At the Knight Center of Digital Excellence, we support Genachowski’s thoughts on Net Neutrality as it ties in to our ideas on the subject of open network s. (For a more information, read Chief Technology Officer Mark T. Ansboury’s column, “The case for open broadband infrastructure.”) It’s in everyone’s interest to pay close attention to this issue. Net Neutrality can serve as a way for our nation to move our networks further faster.
Tags: Apple, AT&T, broadband, broadband applications, Broadband Expansion, Brookings Institution, digital, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, infrastructure, iPhone, Julius Genachowski, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Mark Ansboury, national broadband plan, Net Neutrality, network, open Internet, video games, webcast, wireless Internet
Posted in Digital news, broadband, national broadband plan | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009
The latest social networking effort from the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to solicit opinion on what a national broadband plan should include is beginning to gain some traction.
Ideascale, a Web 2.0 crowd-sourcing tool, is giving users an outlet to discuss, evaluate, suggest and rank ideas on a rolling scale.
And users are taking advantage of it.
Since Ideascale’s launch Sept. 11, 109 different ideas have been voted on 4,294 times. The top-voted idea (201 for, 25 against) is “Bring the United States mobile broadband pricing in line with the rest of the world.” Categories receiving the most attention from users are “Best Practices/Big Ideas,” “Deployment,” “Wireless Broadband” and “e-Government/Citizen Engagement.” In addition to suggesting and commenting on proposed ideas, Ideascale also keeps track of how different issues are voted on through an Activity Chart, and measures how heated a topic becomes with a Controversy Meter.
The FCC is also using Ideascale in conjunction with its other social networking outlets – Facebook and Twitter. It has its own tab on the FCC’s official Facebook page, which allows visitors to link directly into any topic. Twitter users can share topics with others and receive Ideascale-specific notifications when available.
The FCC stated that Ideascale is a “platform that will be especially useful as the Commission develops a national broadband plan, which will provide a strategy for reaching all Americans with robust broadband.”
We at the Knight Center of Digital Excellence couldn’t agree more. These social networking applications – along with the FCC’s official blog, Blogband, are allowing for a more robust discussion on key components of a national broadband plan as well as a higher level of government transparency.
Tags: Activity Chart, Blogband, broadband, Broadband Expansion, Controversy Meter, digital, Facebook, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, government transparency, Ideascale, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, national broadband plan, network, Twitter, Web 2.0
Posted in Digital news, broadband, national broadband plan | No Comments »
Monday, September 21st, 2009
As much as a show of human capacity for athletic achievement, the 2012 Olympics in London also promise to show how broadband networks can take communications to previously unimagined heights.
The consulting firm Forrester Research even plans a series of reports on lessons from planning the communications component. Forrester’s asumption is that information and communications technology will be the “heartbeat” of the 2012 games.
In the executive summary of its first report in the series, Forrester highlights six lessons that business-to-business companies can learn from planning the “greatest show on earth”:
No. 1: Start early;
No. 2: Nothing beats experience;
No. 3: Select the A-team;
No. 4: Partner for success;
No. 5: Structure matters; and
No. 6: Plan for convergence
According to Computer Weekly, the core infrastructure will be “simple and industrial-strength”.
The BBC, for one, plans to stream content live onto websites, while also offering videos on demand and real-time access to events and results through a variety of devices.
“We can use 2012 to do for digital media what the coronation did for television,” Ben Gallop, head of interactive at BBC Sport, told Computer Weekly.
At the Knight Center of Digital Excellence, we feel these digital media efforts will be fun to watch – along with the games.
Tags: 2012 Olympics, bandwidth, BBC, BBC Sport, Ben Gallop, broadband, business-to-business, Computer Weekly, digital, Forrester Research, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, London
Posted in Digital news, broadband | No Comments »
Thursday, September 17th, 2009
At a recent Federal Communications Commission workshop, consumer advocates spoke out for federal policies that disclose practices of broadband providers. The point: Consumers must understand their privacy protections as well as the data-collection activities of Internet providers.
As broadband networks expand nationally as a result of investments under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, consumer protection issues will be at the center of the national debate. How secure are our Internet highways? What information about individuals will be available - and not available - to third parties?
We at the Knight Center of Digital Excellence will follow this debate closely, as public policy, in this case, will need to catch up to advances in technology. Keep checking our blog for updates.
Tags: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, broadband, consumer protection, data collection, digital, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, Internet, Internet Service Providers, ISPs, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, network, stimulus, workshop
Posted in ARRA, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, broadband, national broadband plan | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
In recent weeks, the world press has reported on the potential revolutionary impact of a $650 million broadband project connecting East and Southern Africa to India and Europe. The aim is to spur the African economy, especially through technology innovation.
The fiber-optic cable that just went live is the first of several new undersea connections expected to boost Internet access in Africa between now and mid-2010. The cable is being built by a consortium, controlled primarily by African investors, with expansion costs estimated at $2.4 billion. The expanded Internet service will include Asia and parts of the Middle East.
Imagine the impact on the African continent, where some of the world’s most abject poverty exists.
Jon Gosier, a tech blogger, predicts that East Africa could become an outsourcing hub. “I think you’ll see a wave of creativity and new business opportunities as more and more Africans come online by the millions,” wrote Gosier, founder of a Uganda-based software development firm. “I think in five years or so we’ll be where places like India and Singapore are now.”
However, currently Africa is lagging behind.
In March, the International Telecommunication Union released its latest index comparing developments in “information and communication technologies” (ICT levels) in 154 countries over a five-year period from 2002 to 2007.
Many of the poorer, African countries hardly improved their already low broadband penetration rates over that five-year span. Prior to this new broadband project, only about five percent of the population in some areas used the Internet.
If the excitement is as unabashed as media reports say, it’s because of what Gosier anticipates: Major change, resulting in money in people’s pockets.
It’s not just blog talk. In its report, the Telecommunication Union, too, noted the “close relationship” between ICT levels and GDP. And in June, a World Bank report also noted the correlation between high-speed Internet access and economic growth – pointing to findings that for every 10 percentage points of increase in high-speed access, there is a 1.3 percentage point increase in economic growth.
In Africa, there will many ways to measure growth – such as in the number of children fed, or the number of textbooks in schools, or in medicines dispensed.
To be sure, the work ahead is enormous. While main Internet highways are being built, there will still be challenges reaching isolated areas.
But now there’s a great start. In a part of the world that has suffered so much, it is time for a revolution in the most positive sense.
Tags: Africa, American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, Asia, bandwidth, Broadband Expansion, Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, digital, digital divide, East Africa, economy, education, Europe, GDP, ICT, India, infrastructure, International Telecommunication Union, Internet, Jon Gosier, Middle East, network, rural communities, Signapore, Uganda, underserved, World Bank
Posted in Digital news, broadband | No Comments »
Friday, September 11th, 2009
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is holding a number of workshops designed to promote an open dialogue with service, equipment and applications providers, as well as community and other groups on a variety of topics important to the creation of a national broadband plan. Workshops began in late August and, as of now, are scheduled through Oct. 20. Remaining topics range from health care to cyber security to broadband accessibility for those with disabilities.
All interested parties are encouraged to suggest topics and questions for panelists. Meetings will be broadcast live over the Internet when possible, but for those who can’t attend or view meetings the day of, the FCC said all sessions would be archived to ensure that everyone has access to the content.
While the workshops are relatively new, the idea of the FCC reaching out to the American public for suggestions is not. The FCC released a Notice of Inquiry April 8 asking for public input regarding what a national broadband plan should include. FCC broadband advisor Blair Levin said he was surprised at the poor quality of filings received in response to the April 8 Notice of Inquiry, specifically criticizing some of the industry input as “long on philosophy and short on details on how to get the plan done.”
Since the initial inquiry, the FCC has released two additional Notices, the first regarding whether broadband is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion, and the second addressing wireless innovation and investment. Due dates to comment on these Notices are Oct. 2 and Oct. 12, respectively.
While the FCC said workshops being conducting are allowing staff to take ownership of parts of the plan and narrow down action items on broader issues, Levin stated the commission will be requesting more information through hearings and “very narrow [and] very focused” public notices this fall.
Needless to say, the FCC is giving the public a host of opportunities to engage in meaningful debate on how a national broadband plan should be put together. These workshops and notices are ideal for public forum, and those who want their voices heard should take advantage of the chance to provide clear and poignant insight.
Check the FCC workshops schedule for a complete list of upcoming workshops and take some time to suggest topics and questions. Also, be sure to follow the Knight Center of Digital Excellence blog for more information and insight on the national broadband plan.
Tags: Blair Levin, broadband, Broadband Expansion, Broadband.gov, cyber security, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, healthcare, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, national broadband plan, Notice of Inquiry, wireless innovation and investment
Posted in Digital news, national broadband plan | No Comments »
Thursday, September 10th, 2009
Courtesy of the NTIA and RUS, a searchable database went live recently that provides public information on broadband stimulus applications. The measure is part of the federal government’s promise of transparency throughout the grant process.
Right now, a Knight Center of Digital Excellence look at the numbers shows 2,186 applications are contained in the database, representing a total of $21.2 billion in grant requests and $6.5 billion in loan requests. The largest number of applications came from the states of Virginia (222), California (178), North Dakota (130) and Texas (112), with Georgia and New York submitting 97 each. On the low side was Delaware, with only two submissions.
Here’s a further breakdown of the applications by type. Keep in mind the database doesn’t include paper applications or applications received for the State Broadband Data and Development Program.
Applications per Program:
BIP: 400
BTOP: 953
BIP/BTOP: 833
Applications per Project Type:
Last Mile: 113
Last Mile Non-Remote: 633
Last Mile Remote: 383
Middle Mile: 368
Public Computer Center: 361
Sustainable Adoption: 328
Applications are searchable by organization, keywords, project type, program and state. Searches also list applicant contact information, project title, the amount of grant money requested and a project description. According to the NTIA and RUS, those who want to protect proprietary information have until Sept. 14 at 5 p.m. (EDT) to provide an adjusted copy of their executive summary; otherwise the agency will indicate that information isn’t available when searchers look for it. If you’re planning to provide an adjusted copy, keep in mind applicants are being told they can only remove information, but not add to or alter it.
Tags: BIP, broadband, Broadband Initiatives Program, Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, BroadbandUSA, BTOP, California, database, Delaware, executive summary, Georgia, government transparency, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Last Mile, Middle Mile, New York, North Dakota, NTIA, OneCommunity, public computer centers, RUS, State Broadband Data and Development Program, stimulus, stimulus watch, sustainable broadband adoption, Texas, Virginia
Posted in Digital news, NTIA, RUS, Stimulus Package, broadband | No Comments »
|
|
