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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The Knight Center of Digital Excellence held its first Stimulus Webcast Session for Knight communities and program directors July 23. Watch it online now.
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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.
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Posts Tagged ‘FCC’
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
A recent event that didn’t get a lot of attention but managed to bring in a lot of the communication industry’s heavy hitters was SUPERCOMM 2009, held in Chicago during late October.
Speakers presenting on their insights and strategic plans included top-ranking officials from many major communications companies such as Verizon Communications, AT&T Operations, NBC Universal and Cox Communications – just to name a few. Verizon Communications Chairman Ivan Seidenberg delivered a keynote address touching on using networking technology to create a “smarter planet, smarter health care and smarter education.”
Private sector interests were also represented by Hardik Bhatt, Chicago’s chief information officer; Jonathan Adelstein, administrator, Rural Utilities Service; Larry Strickling, assistant secretary for Communications and Information and administrator, National Telecommunications and Information Administration; Blair Levin, executive director, Omnibus Broadband Initiative, Federal Communications Commission; and Aneesh Chopra, U.S. chief technology officer and associate director for technology in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, who delivered a keynote address on how he feels broadband will change the U.S. economy.
The event featured a number of suppliers showcasing the latest in broadband innovation as well as exhibits that demonstrated an industry-wide commitment to “green broadband,” which explores green regulations, recent studies on business opportunities in the low-carbon economy and how applications like intelligent monitoring can help reduce the energy burden of broadband.
Despite “always on” operation, broadband devices typically don’t consume a large amount of energy on their own, according to a U.S Department of Energy report. However, the appreciable indirect energy consumption they cause through extended use of related devices is proving to be significant. Figures presented at SUPERCOMM showed the standby power-draw from routers in 61 million U.S. homes served with broadband represents enough energy to meet the needs of the entire city of Oakland, Calif.
SUPERCOMM 2009’s complimentary programming also focused on broadband solutions. Technology-focused sessions took a forward-looking approach at how certain technologies were deployed in a network or how a service was applied, and how that technology or service will evolve to apply to future needs. Educational sessions covered topics such as the upcoming national broadband plan, digital content, service-oriented networks and social media.
While a number of interesting topics were discussed, it was good to see such a diverse group of key public and private sector thinkers convene to discuss how future innovation benefits everyone. It’s evident that key players in the communications game are placing an emphasis on broadband technology and the kinds of services and applications it can potentially power.
Tags: Aneesh Chopra, AT&T, Blair Levin, Broadband Expansion, California, Chicago, Cox Communications, digital, digital content, digital divide, economy, electricity, FCC, Federal, green broadband, Hardik Bhatt, high-speed, Illinois, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, Ivan Seidenberg, Jonathan Adelstein, Larry Strickling, national broadband plan, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, NBC Universal, NTIA, Oakland, Omnibus Broadband Initiative, Rural Utilities Service, RUS, service-oriented network, social media, SUPERCOMM 2009, U.S. Department of Energy, utilities, Verizon
Posted in Digital news, broadband | No Comments »
Thursday, November 12th, 2009
 In any national broadband strategy, adoption and use need to play a major role. We’ve seen numerous examples of broadband driving future applications that will enhance lives. Advances in education, health care and economic development are out there, and many Americans are going to need to increase their technological competencies in order to realize the benefits.
While the U.S. Broadband Coalition submitted a report on a national broadband strategy to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Sept. 24, it recently submitted another that offers more detailed policy suggestions.
The Broadband Adoption and Use Working Group, chaired by Charles Benton, of the Benton Foundation; Link Hoewing, of Verizon; Karen Archer Perry, of the Knight Center of Digital Excellence; and Kenneth Peres of Communications Workers of America, collaborated with more than 30 authors representing over 25 different firms to create a new report that was delivered to the FCC Oct. 29 and will be showcased in a public forum at the FCC Hearing Room in Washington D.C. Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. EST.
“Broadband Adoption and Use: Bridging the Divide and Increasing the Intensity of Broadband Use Across All Sectors of the Economy,” is a robust document focusing on policy options that promote: inclusion, increased intensity of broadband use, interoperability, integration of broadband and technology into other programs, and expanded innovation. The report’s hundred plus policy ideas address each of these principles directly.
Inclusion
As more functions in our society move online, the cost of digital exclusion continues to escalate. Conversely, the value associated with any given Internet-enabled service increases as more people or devices access that service. This report includes specific recommendations to bridge the digital divide. Its universal design principles seek to bring access to people with disabilities. The benefits of broadband can potentially reach 40 percent of American adults who currently have inadequate or no access.
Intensity of Broadband Use
While broadband appears to be well integrated in some sectors of our nation’s economy, we’re actually in the beginning stages of broadband adoption as a whole. The potential to further leverage broadband technologies across society and the economy creates unparalleled opportunities to grow our economy and enrich lives.
The report covers a number of policy options designed to increase adoption and use in the areas of economic development, health care, public safety, education, energy and sustainability, and democracy and civic engagement.
Interoperability
While broadband developments to-date are founded on the natural interoperability of Internet Protocol (the method by which data is sent from one computer to another), more application-level interoperability is needed to accelerate development across sectors and constituencies such as in health care and public safety. The report points out where policy and standardization can drive additional deployment and create new, more effective use models.
Integration of Broadband into Everything
Broadband technology and Internet-based applications can no longer be managed and funded in “technology silos” of policy and investment. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is integral to social services, education, health care, safety, civic rights and engagement, and all other sectors of the economy. The report recommends ICT investment and policy be incorporated into other federal and state programs such as housing, social services, education, and health care as integral funded and mission-aligned program components.
Investment
Strategic investments such as those made through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act’s broadband stimulus funding, Universal Service Funds and USDA Rural Health programs are critical to filling gaps in the market in terms of access, adoption and applications.
Innovation
The hallmark of the Internet age has been innovation. While change is necessary to broaden and deepen the impact of broadband across the U.S., changes must also preserve and encourage continued innovation at all levels of the economy and market. A number of recent studies have shown the Internet is the new platform for innovation not only in the U.S. but globally. Consider the number of new applications and devices over the past few years.
Could any of us have accurately predicted this exact kind of innovation would take place? Can we accurately predict the future possibilities that exist? Probably not.
But as the Coalition suggests, we can encourage policies that will “focus not on protecting status quo but in continuing to create a fertile environment for U.S.-based innovation, expansion as well as adoption and use.”
Over 30 industry experts from 25 firms contributed to “Broadband Adoption and Use: Bridging the Divide and Increasing the Intensity of Broadband Use Across All Sectors of the Economy,” In addition to the report co-chairs, Alcatel-Lucent, Net Literacy, Telcordia, Utilities Telecom Council, PC Rebuilders and Recyclers, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, OneCommunity and many others contributed to this report.
Each report section includes a statement on the opportunity, barriers and possible policy options to be implemented at the federal, state or local levels of government. While the report reflects a few areas of contention, there is strong overall agreement that increasing the adoption and use of broadband technology and services is good for America and for Americans.
With the Internet celebrating only its 40th birthday and search functions just over 10 years old, this is still a field in the early stages of growth and value. There is much we can do to create greater inclusion in adoption and to drive for greater value across those sectors where broadband is already in use and this report includes a menu of serious options for consideration.
Future events
The “Broadband Adoption and Use: Bridging the Divide and Increasing the Intensity of Broadband Use Across All Sectors of the Economy” report will be publicly released Nov. 13 and will be showcased in live and webcast events at the FCC Headquarters on the same day at 1 p.m. EST. Please check the Knight Center website for more details, go to www.BB4US.net or contact Karen Archer Perry at kperry@knightcenter.org.
Tags: Alcatel-Lucent, American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, bandwidth, benton foundation, broadband, Broadband Adoption and Use, Broadband Adoption and Use Working Group, Broadband Expansion, Charles Benton, Communications Workers of America, digital, digital divide, economy, education, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, healthcare, ICT, Information and Communications Technology, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, Interoperability, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Karen Archer Perry, Kenneth Peres, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Link Hoewing, national broadband plan, Net Literacy, network, OneCommunity, PC Rebuilders and Recyclers, public safety, rural communities, stimulus, Telcordia, telemedicine, U.S. Broadband Coalition, underserved, Universal Service Funds, USDA Rural Health, utilities, Utilities Telecom Council, Verizon, Washington D.C.
Posted in Digital news, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, broadband, national broadband plan | No Comments »
Thursday, November 12th, 2009
 By Doug Adams, Knight Center of Digital Excellence
My life is not that different from most men in their early 40s. Weekends are hectic, filled with kids’ games, events and errands – all while never straying too far from “work mode” as I am connected via Blackberry and laptop seven days a week. Was life this crazy for my father when I was young?
My father might not have had three soccer leagues plus football to juggle, or a workday that extended beyond nine-to-five to deal with, but I can manage my responsibilities and take advantage of so many new opportunities thanks to broadband. In many ways, my life is very different from what I envisioned it would be as a kid – or even what I envisioned five years ago. While the substance of my life is much as I would have anticipated, I never imagined being able to watch my beloved Indianapolis Colts via an iPhone application at the same time as my son Jack is scoring a goal at his soccer game. Being a supportive father in 2009 may require more work – but it is also a whole lot easier.
About a year ago, I introduced my son to U2. He loves the music almost as much as I do now, which is great – because what good is having kids if you can’t teach them to like what you like? Unfortunately, the 2009 U2 concert tour did not make it our way, but we watched the Los Angeles show this weekend streaming live via YouTube from start to finish.
Last weekend, I awoke on Saturday to my 4-year-old daughter on a Skype Internet call with her grandma in Connecticut. Zoe, a child of broadband and the numerous educational games available online, had dialed-up grandma on her own. Just an example of how her exposure to the resources on the Web have made her so aware of the present world around her and poised to compete in a future one.
We’re a multiple laptop family – so at the same time Zoe was speaking with Grandma, 9–year-old Abby was playing her favorite online game, which requires her to organize, prioritize and accomplish tasks before being rewarded with the next level. It’s no coincidence we’ve seen these same behaviors manifest in her daily life.
My family is by no means alone in terms of how pervasive broadband has become in our everyday life. Earlier this year, eMarketer reported that consumers, even in this tough economy, are scaling back in other places while keeping their broadband services intact. When asked what they would give up if forced to scale back, Americans ranked broadband way behind digital television and telephone service (both mobile and land lines). More than 66 percent of broadband users said they would keep broadband access at the same level or even scale up.
Tags: bandwidth, Blackberry, broadband, Broadband Expansion, Connecticut, digital, digital divide, digital television, eMarketer, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, high-speed, Indianapolis Colts, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, iPhone, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, laptop, Los Angeles, network, Pew Research Center Internet & American Life Project, Skype, U2, YouTube
Posted in Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Opinion, broadband | No Comments »
Thursday, October 29th, 2009
The Federal Communications Commission’s unanimous vote Oct. 22 to begin developing an open Internet policy served a major victory for those, such as the Knight Center of Digital Excellence, who support the idea that the Internet should be fast, open and accessible to all Americans.
However, as we covered in our net neutrality blog series, which took an in-depth look at each of the FCC’s proposed six net neutrality principles, there are numerous organizations and individuals that are putting some heavy commercial and political pressure on the issue, the FCC and each other.
Major broadband providers feel strongly that the billions of dollars they’ve poured into their networks should provide them the exclusive right to operate those networks however they want. That includes offering premium services over their lines to differentiate themselves from competitors – and earn a healthy return on their investments in the process.
Many Republican congressmen have spoken out against the proposed net neutrality principles as well, expressing the opinion that the regulations would likely discourage broadband providers from expanding and upgrading their systems, thereby stifling innovation and hurting the job market.
Sen. John McCain is one prominent politician who holds that view, which is the main reason he introduced the Internet Freedom Act of 2009 the same morning as the FCC vote, which would block the agency from regulating the Internet.
Other congressmen have come forward to say they feel the FCC doesn’t have the legal right to enforce net neutrality rules. Even FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, who introduced the proposal, feels there is a legal gray area with regards to enacting and enforcing Internet regulation. He said in a previous interview that his agency is faced with a “dangerous combination of an uncertain legal framework with ongoing as well as emerging challenges to a free and open Internet.”
What’s clear is that while the issue might have been voted on, the debate is far from over. Keep in mind the vote doesn’t put any principle in place as law; it simply states the FCC will start the process for creating regulation to keep the Internet open and use the six principles as a foundation.
Regardless, the vote is a step in the right direction in ensuring all Americans will have access to an Internet that’s fast, open and innovative.
Tags: broadband, Broadband Expansion, digital, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, high-speed, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, Internet Freedom Act of 2009, John McCain, Julius Genachowski, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Net Neutrality, network, Republican party
Posted in Digital news, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, broadband | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009
Here’s a sentence you’ve probably seen in a number of recent Knight Center of Digital Excellence articles: “AT&T has publicly stated that real-time gaming is an ‘aspirational service’ and not a core broadband application.”
The statement has been used multiple times as an example the growing debate between service providers and other industries since Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski’s Sept. 21 net neutrality webcast at the Brookings Institution.
Let’s take a closer look at AT&T’s statement, though. Should real-time gaming be considered an “aspirational service” and not a core broadband application? After all, video games are more or less for kids, right?
Not quite. Growing survey data presented in a 2008 Harvard Business School study on video games and broadband revealed the traditional gamer stereotype of the teenage boy is outdated. Consider these recent Entertainment Software Association numbers:
- The average gamer is 35 years old and has been playing for 12 years.
- Forty percent of all gamers are women. Additionally, “women over 18 years of age” is one of the industry’s fastest growing demographics. Adult women represent a greater portion of the game-playing population (34 percent) than boys age 17 or younger (18 percent). In addition, 57 percent of online gamers are male and 43 percent are female.
- Twenty-five percent of gamers are over the age of 50, an increase from 9 percent in 1999. This figure is expected to rise in coming years with nursing homes and senior centers across the nation now incorporating video games into their activities.
- Forty-two percent of homes in America have a video game console.
- Thirty-seven percent of heads of households report they play games on wireless devices such as a cell phone or PDA, up from 20 percent in 2002.
The statistics regarding wireless devices are particularly interesting because the FCC is still considering how issues such as net neutrality will affect wireless Internet. Regardless of what the FCC is thinking now, numbers seem to indicate devices that have a strong gaming component are likely to gain the attention of consumers.
The Harvard Business School study demonstrated that innovative devices, ubiquitous broadband access, improved games and increased reach led to U.S. sales of software, hardware and accessories reaching $18.9 billion in 2007, an almost 40 percent growth over 2006 sales. The Nintendo DS, a handheld broadband gaming device, was the top-selling gaming device in 2007 with 8.5 million units sold. Overall, more than 12 million handheld broadband video game devices were sold that year, in addition to 13 million console units that are capable of real-time online gaming.
The application side of online gaming claims a large audience as well. World of Warcraft, an extremely popular online role-playing video game, claimed 11.5 million monthly subscribers in August 2009. Facebook, the popular social media application with over 130 million subscribers, offers a number of “freemium” video games such as “Farmville” and “Mafia Wars” that not only attract millions of players, but also revolve around social networking. Gamesbrief (a video game industry blog) analyst Nicholas Lovell has claimed that many “freemium” games on Facebook make close to $20 per player on average, as players have the option to pay real money for virtual items that enhance play.
Non-video game device manufacturers are paying attention to these numbers. At a recent media gathering, Apple showed off updates to its line of iPods, pointing out there are more than 21,000 game available on the company’s App store for its iPhone and iPod Touch. In an interview with the New York Times, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said the company’s customers saw the iPod Touch as a strong gaming platform.
Major gaming device companies such as Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo have typically written off Apple as a major threat to their industry status. However, that hasn’t stopped those companies from moving in Apple’s arena as well. Both Sony’s PSP Go and Nintendo’s DSi are relatively new efforts by traditional handheld video game manufacturers to add more broadband-heavy functions to devices.
Could AT&T’s statement be pushback rhetoric from a service provider whose infrastructure can’t support gaming? Is AT&T trying to undermine not only competitors but also an entire platform of innovation that millions of Americans take advantage of on a daily basis?
Possibly. But the point is that while AT&T may want to classify real-time gaming as an “aspirational service,” it seems that device manufacturers, online application creators and American consumers are taking a more serious stance.
Tags: Apple, aspirational service, AT&T, bandwidth, broadband, broadband applications, Broadband Expansion, Brookings Institution, cell phone, digital, digital divide, economy, Entertainment Software Association, Facebook, Farmville, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, Gamesbrief, Harvard Business School, high-speed, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, iPhone, iPhone Touch, Julius Genachowski, KCoDE, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Mafia Wars, Microsoft, network, New York Times, Nicholas Lovell, Nintendo, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, online gaming, PSP Go, real-time gaming, Sony, Steve Jobs, video games, wireless, wireless devices, World of Warcraft
Posted in Digital news, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, broadband | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
The final piece in a four-part series on the Federal Communication Commission’s six net neutrality principles:
During a recent webcast from the Brookings Institute, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski explained six principles of net neutrality and proposed making them official rules. Let’s take a closer look at proposed rules five and six, which focus on devices and competition.
No. 5: Broadband providers can’t block or demote lawful traffic, or privilege their own content over that of their competitors.
The FCC’s fifth rule touches on a number of examples we’ve discussed in previous parts of this series, such as AT&T’s classifying real-time gaming as an “aspirational [broadband] service,” and Verizon Wireless being taken to task for blocking text messages from a political organization.
A scenario the Knight Center of Digital Excellence proposed in a previous blog is that if the FCC’s net neutrality rules are not enacted: A service provider could favor information from Microsoft over Google by purposely slowing Goggle’s content delivery to create a competitive disadvantage.
Since Genachowski’s webcast, a more critical eye has been turned to service providers that had been trying to find ways to better position themselves for a future Internet stranglehold. Verizon was recently taken to task for its numerous handset exclusivity deals, for example. (It has since responded by publicly stating it would work to reduce these type of deals.)
No. 6: Broadband providers must be transparent about their services.
Both the fifth and sixth principles have recently been added to a list the FCC has been touting for quite some time, but have caused the heaviest debate between various providers. The sixth principle, in particular, has been a major sticking point.
Major broadband providers feel strongly that the billions of dollars they’ve poured into their networks should provide them the exclusive right to operate those networks however they want. That includes offering premium services over their lines to differentiate themselves from competitors – and earn a healthy return on their investments in the process.
If all providers are forced to be transparent about their services (as well as follow other rules that limit handset exclusivity, for example), it becomes increasingly difficult to establish a competitive advantage and handicap smaller providers from having equal access to consumers. It could also lead to consumers having complete freedom to choose what device they want to use and what service that device will use to connect. No one, for example, will be forced to choose AT&T as a provider because he or she simply wants an iPhone.
Those are great scenarios for consumers, aren’t they? Imagine: Instead of providers trying to ignore or hide new types of innovative programming, they’ll simply have to develop the infrastructure to support it, right?
Not necessarily. Both broadband providers opposing Genachowski’s proposal and Republicans that sit on the FCC and in Congress have expressed the opinion that network neutrality regulations would likely discourage broadband providers from expanding and upgrading their systems.
How do you view that statement? Are major providers trying to make the point that falling profit margins would simply lead to a lack of research and development dollars? Or is it a threat to essentially hold innovation hostage until they get what they want?
No matter how you view it – or any of the examples we’ve provided throughout this series – the fact remains that there are a lot of complicated issues to sort through – even well after the five-member FCC votes on Genachowski’s net neutrality proposal Thursday, Oct. 22.
For his part, Genachowski commented in a recent interview that as long as cable and telecommunications networks are delivering “high-speed, affordable broadband to all consumers in a given area,” marketplace limitations should be sufficient. However, if they “fall short” in any area or attribute, he said the FCC will propose “alternative and creative solutions” as part of its plan.
Further reading:
• Part one
• Part two
• Part three
Tags: AT&T, bandwidth, Brookings Institution, competition, Congress, digital, economy, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, Google, high-speed, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, iPhone, Julius Genachowski, KCoDE, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Microsoft, Net Neutrality, network, Republican party, Verizon
Posted in Knight Center of Digital Excellence, broadband | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
Ever since Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski’s Sept. 21 net neutrality webcast at the Brookings Institute, an intense debate on the subject has raged between a number of industry executives, policy makers and other concerned parties.
What everyone seems to agree on, however, is the impression the FCC made by publicly stating its stance. Stephen Collins, head of global regulatory affairs for Skype, one of the loudest voices for net neutrality from within the high-tech industry, said, “This puts the FCC at the forefront of global Internet policy. It was a bold statement that could have ripple effects across the globe.”
It’s difficult to imagine what the exact effect would be across the globe if the U.S. were to implement and enforce a robust net neutrality policy. Other nations have different needs, different broadband infrastructures and considerably diverse government models.
A few nations, such as Norway and Japan, have net neutrality rules in place similar to those proposed by Genachowski. Others have dismissed such policies, including several European nations and emerging nations, because telecommunications companies are either controlled by or closely connected to the government. The government plays an even larger role in nations such as China, Iran and Ethiopia, where content and connection speeds are so heavily censored and restricted that there may as well be no Internet service at all.
However, a large number don’t even have a need to consider policies at all because consumers already enjoy both a greater level of competition and more bandwidth than in the U.S.
Those are important categories to consider – competition and infrastructure. When you strip down many of the arguments made for or against FCC-proposed net neutrality rules, those seem to be two concerns that are most prevalent in the overall debate. Read the Knight Center of Digital Excellence’s four-part series on the FCC’s six net neutrality rules for specific examples on how the relative lack of broadband competition and low levels of available bandwidth in our nation are pitting major industry players against each other.
Looking at nations that considered competition and infrastructure issues from the onset adds an interesting facet to the net neutrality debate: Is it a short-term solution to answer for a lack of long-term planning?
Net neutrality is important, and rules governing it should apply to the Internet no matter where or how it’s accessed to ensure American consumers have fast, open and accessible service. At the same time, we hope they don’t detract attention from big-picture problems – the need for more robust competition in broadband markets and the building of higher speed, best-effort infrastructure.
Tags: bandwidth, broadband, Broadband Expansion, Brookings Institution, China, competition, digital, Ethiopia, Europe, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, high-speed, infrastructure, Internet, Iran, Japan, Julius Genachowski, Net Neutrality, network, Norway, Skype, Stephen Collins
Posted in broadband | No Comments »
Friday, October 16th, 2009
When the federal government announced its investment in broadband, the broadband community applauded. Financial assistance would be in place to augment commercial investments in rural areas, provide opportunities for expanded municipal wireless networks and supplement middle-mile fiber builds connecting schools and government buildings.
Buried in the $7.2 billion funding allocation was a relatively miniscule allotment of $250 million for “sustainable broadband adoption,” with $150 million to be dispersed in the first round of funding. Yet, this small Sustainable Broadband Adoption (SBA) pool drew 328 applications totaling nearly $2.5 billion in “asks” - 10 times the amount of funding available. Why so much interest?
It’s simple. Broadband availability without adoption, use and innovative product and service development is like one-hand clapping - not much of a sound and very little real connection. The pool of 328 applications to the SBA fund indicates a huge pent-up demand, a desire to create change and the know-how to promote broadband adoption.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recognized as much in a recent report, saying the “Internet creates value only if applications are adopted by consumers; greater adoption yields greater value.”
The challenge becomes one of holding out a vision that Americans can embrace - one they can see and understand how their individual lives can benefit from broadband. As the FCC has outlined, broadband provides:
- Individuals a platform for education and training, wherever one lives, whatever one’s circumstances;
- Businesses a platform for innovation, greater cost efficiency and access to world markets; and
- Governments a platform that improves efficiency and responsiveness,
One stimulus application designed to connect broadband networks with quality of life in communities is the Connect Your Community (CYC) proposal from the Knight Center of Digital Excellence. The plan is to engage, train, equip and support communities across the county to develop and test training tools, in-depth tracking and analysis. But CYC is just one of the many proposals vying for the tiny pool of SBA funds.
Given the great demand and very limited funding for broadband adoption initiatives, we risk developing broadband networks that may result in under-usage. This is due to many Americans not understanding the benefits of new high-speed, high-capacity communications and how to participate in them fully. Part of the federal government’s job in considering applications is to weigh priorities. We hope this basic first step - of getting Americans up to speed with the what the ramifications of these new high-speed Internet highways can be - will get the attention it deserves.
America applauds the building of broadband networks, because we see the vision of a better life as a result. Our national investment in broadband will take on new relevance and excitement in communities across our nation.
Tags: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, broadband, broadband availability, Broadband Expansion, Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, community, Connect Your Community, CYC, digital, economy, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, high-speed, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, KCoDE, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Middle Mile, network, stimulus, stimulus watch, sustainable broadband adoption
Posted in Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Stimulus Package, broadband | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
The third in a four-part series on the Federal Communication Commission’s six net neutrality principles:
During a recent webcast from the Brookings Institute, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski explained six principles of net neutrality and proposed making them official rules. Let’s take a closer look at proposed rules three and four, which focus on devices and competition.
No. 3: As long as they don’t damage the network, consumers can connect any legal devices of their choosing.
If you follow the wide-ranging discussion on devices, you’ll find there’s a lot of overlap. The third principle would seem to relate only to third-party devices like Sling Media’s Slingbox (a TV and video streaming device that is blocked on some 3G networks), but many industry executives involved in the net neutrality debate are also chiming in on what devices are used to connect directly to broadband networks.
We’ve seen the obvious example at work – a cell phone. But when considering the phrase “any legal device of their choosing,” the FCC’s third principle includes any non-phone device that contain Wi-Fi modules, such as Apple’s iPod Touch, Microsoft’s ZuneHD and Blu-Ray players that offer integrated Netflix streaming. Internet radio devices, web-connected home security systems and cameras with integrated wireless connectivity should be considered as well.
With all these devices in play, the net neutrality issue quickly becomes handset exclusivity – a practice where wireless carriers make exclusive deals with device manufacturers. Two examples at work currently include Google’s partnership with Verizon Wireless and Apple’s partnership with AT&T.
Both the FCC and Congress have spent some time looking into wireless handset exclusivity arrangements, especially as it plays into the FCC’s fourth net neutrality principle:
No. 4: Consumers have a right to competition.
The FCC’s fourth principle would ensure customers have the right to competition across the Internet spectrum, not simply in terms of choosing a service provider.
Net neutrality advocates claim there is a necessity to regulate the infrastructure and prohibit private enterprise from implementing methods to alter or promote one entity over another.
A worst-case scenario would be if a service provider would favor information from Microsoft over Google by purposely slowing Goggle’s content delivery to create a competitive disadvantage. Another would be a wireless carrier making enough exclusive deals with equipment manufacturers to effective eliminate smaller competitors and force consumers to choose between device or service.
An Internet stranglehold by a handful of organizations could also limit across-the-board innovation. Consider AT&T’s public statement that real-time gaming is an “aspirational service” and not a core broadband application. It’s an interesting statement, considering a Harvard Business School study on the video game industry demonstrated that innovative devices, ubiquitous broadband access, improved games and increased reach led to U.S. sales of software, hardware and accessories reaching $18.9 billion in 2007, an almost 40 percent growth over 2006. The Nintendo DS, a handheld broadband gaming device, was the top-selling gaming device in 2007 with 8.5 million units sold.
Could this statement be pushback from an infrastructure that can’t support gaming and is trying to undermine not only a competitor, but also an entire platform of innovation that millions of Americans take advantage of on a daily basis?
The rise of various, multi-tasking devices that can provide broadband access and other services has various industry leaders looking for ways to best position themselves as the market begins to take a more concrete shape. The FCC’s net neutrality principles as they relate to devices and competition (and how it eventually chooses to enforce them) will play a major role in that process.
Further reading:
• Part one
• Part two
• Part four
Tags: 3G, Apple, AT&T, Blu-Ray, broadband, Broadband Expansion, Brookings Institution, competition, Congress, digital, economy, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, Google, Harvard Business School, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, Internet radio, iPod, Julius Genachowski, Microsoft, Net Neutrality, Netflix, network, Nintendo DS, security system, Sling Media, Slingbox, Verizon, video games, Wi-Fi, ZuneHD
Posted in Digital news, broadband, national broadband plan | No Comments »
Monday, October 12th, 2009
The second in a four-part series on the Federal Communication Commission’s six net neutrality principles:
During a recent webcast from the Brookings Institute, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski explained six principles of net neutrality and proposed making them official rules. Let’s take a closer look at the first two, which focus on Web content and applications.
No. 1: Consumers are entitled to access whatever legal content they like.
Once considered a “future-proof” application, the Internet has significantly evolved over the past few years, giving users access to content previously found solely on store shelves or through other outlets. In some instances, service providers have restricted access to this kind of content. For example, AT&T censored a Pearl Jam concert in 2007. A month later, Verizon Wireless was taken to task for blocking text messages from the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League. (Both companies have since apologized for the censorship.)
Those are just two examples, however. There have been other public incidents that have drawn the ire of organizations such as the Open Internet Coalition, which represents consumers, grassroots organizations and businesses working to keep the Internet fast, open and accessible to all Americans.
So what would happen to the Internet landscape if it weren’t fast, open and accessible? If Internet service providers were allowed to choose among content, businesses would have the ability to slow down or even block their competitors’ Web content. A cable company whose leaders disapprove of a particular political or social cause could block sites supporting that cause.
The FCC’s first principle of net neutrality would ensure those scenarios never happen.
No. 2: Consumers can run whatever legal applications – and use whatever legal services – they like, with some exemptions for law enforcement purposes.
This principle is essentially the same as the first, though it relates to applications.
An example of application “censorship” is Apple’s recent rejection of the iPhone application Google Voice, an Internet-based service that would permit users to make low-cost calls without using AT&T, which has an exclusive arrangement for the iPhone in this country. (Apple said it is still considering the application.)
Net neutrality should apply to the Internet no matter where or how it’s accessed. With the increase in the number of devices that have wireless Internet capabilities, the FCC needs to be vigilant from the beginning when deciding on how to ensure American consumers have fast, open and accessible service.
Further reading:
• Part one
• Part three
• Part four
Tags: Apple, AT&T, Broadband Expansion, digital, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, Google Voice, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, iPhone, Julius Genachowski, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, Net Neutrality, network, Open Internet Coalition, Pearl Jam, Verizon
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