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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 ‘recovery.gov’
Monday, August 17th, 2009
More than half of Americans have been hit hard during the current recession in a number of ways, according to a recent Pew Internet & American Life Project study (“The Internet and the Recession”):
• 35 percent of Americans have seen their investments lose more than half their value;
• 27 percent of those employed full time or part-time have had their pay cut, hours reduced, or benefits slashed;
• 27 percent of homeowners have seen the value of their home reduced by at least half; and
• 14 percent of Americans have been laid off or lost their jobs.
Startling numbers, to be sure. But guess where a large portion of these Americans are going for help - the Internet.
According to the Pew study, roughly 69 percent of Americans have used the Internet to cope with the recession in the past year “as they hunt for bargains, jobs, ways to upgrade their skills, better investment strategies, housing options and government benefits. That amounts to 88 percent of adult Internet users in the country.”
While many Americans still tend to rely on traditional media outlets for economic and personal finance information, the Internet is quickly closing the gap. And for those who have broadband at home, the Internet has become the favored option. A little more than half (52 percent) of the 64 percent of Americans who have broadband Internet at home cite the Internet as the preferred medium for personal finance information. Eighteen percent of adults said they search at least once a day for recession-related material.
And they’re not just learning – they’re contributing to the discussion. The study cites 34 percent of “online economic users” – about 30 percent of the online population and 23 percent of the entire adult population – have contributed content and commentary about the recession online.
These facts are just a few of the answers to the big broadband question, “So what?” At the Knight Center of Digital Excellence, a big part of our job is to help Knight communities understand the value of broadband Internet – to show them how to answer the “so whats” in their efforts to connect.
It’s no secret the recession has affected the better portion of our nation. And if we haven’t been directly affected, we probably know someone who has been – in a very dramatic way. The Pew study shows that the Internet is becoming a necessary, multi-functional tool for people looking to ease their recession burdens.
For a further look at how the Internet is changing our economy for the better, read the Knight Center’s “Advertising-supported Internet presenting new opportunities.”
Tags: broadband, Broadband Expansion, community, digital, economy, high-speed, innovation, Internet, KCoDE, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, mass media, network, Pew Research Center Internet & American Life Project, print media, recession, recovery.gov, so what, stimulus, stimulus watch
Posted in Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Opinion | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
By Scot Rourke, Knight Center of Digital Excellence
We’re supposed to have an economic “stimulus” plan to both stave off further economic decline and invest in key 21st century assets such as broadband and electronic medical records. In the 90-plus days since its approval, it is alarming how little of the stimulus money has been invested and how far the funding allocation dates have been pushed back.
In the case of broadband networks, the original stated goal was to have as much as half the stimulus funds committed or spent by Sept. 30. Now the federal government’s website, www.recovery.gov, lists the first award date as Dec. 31.
Projects that were shovel ready and on track to be done in 2009 sit idle as their planners wait in the hopes of aligning with stimulus funding. This is the exact opposite of what the stimulus was supposed to achieve - namely jobs in 2009.
In addition, delays unfortunately allow special interests more time for lobbying efforts, and clearly, the lobbyists are out in force. Take the telecom providers, who are going after a share of the $7 billion earmarked for broadband. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks lobbyist spending, companies such as Comcast, Verizon and others are pouring millions of additional dollars into lobbying. Comcast spent $12.5 million in 2008, up a whopping 2,193 percent from 2001. Verizon’s lobbying budget rose to $18 million last year, up from $8.2 million in 2001. I wish I owned a hotel in Washington, D.C.
On the flip side, the extra time should allow federal agencies to better align procedures, strategies, and get what seems great new talent up-to-speed and ready to manage this large, fast and unprecedented process. Perhaps it will also provide time for better coordination across agencies. I am encouraged by what I’m hearing about developing policies that tout innovation and reform.
Getting these ideas through the political machine is another story, but I’m optimistic, and we have to start somewhere. It’d be interesting to see this same transformation begin happening in state and local governments as well, but that would take much longer, and probably only accomplished with formal incentives. Still, it’s a critical component for all of our communities to be more globally competitive.
For our country to be competitive, we need government, one of our largest industries, to be able to attract and retain great talent with the relevant skill-sets to use technology to drive innovation. Only with this new strong leadership, joined with deep talent pools can we expect to see vast improvements in services and enhanced productivity.
So while it’s disappointing that more investment has yet to hit the market, let’s make sure we use this precious time to better collaborate across communities for larger, shared goals and efficiencies. Let’s further build out our plans to make sure they hit the targeted outcomes and will be sustainable once the stimulus is over. Let’s think about innovative ways to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to invest in 21st century assets and partnerships.
We can’t say we didn’t have time.
Scot Rourke is President and CEO of the Cleveland-based technology nonprofit OneCommunity, which operates the Knight Center of Digital Excellence in partnership with The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. To learn more about the Knight Center, go to www.knightcenter.org or e-mail info@knightcenter.org.
Tags: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, bandwidth, broadband, Broadband Expansion, Center for Responsive Politics, CEO, community, Congress, digital, digital divide, economy, high-speed, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, KCoDE, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, network, Ohio, OneCommunity, president, recovery.gov, Scot Rourke, stimulus, stimulus watch, Washington D.C.
Posted in Knight Center of Digital Excellence, OneCommunity, Opinion, Stimulus Package | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
We’re just beginning the second half of our afternoon conference here at the Knight Center of Digital Excellence. Jim Baller, of the Baller Herbst Law Group, has joined us. Baller’s law firm is based in Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis, specializes in communications issues. He is also the founder of the National Broadband Coalition, which includes consumer groups, state and local government entities, utilities, nonprofits and others groups working toward consensus on a national broadband strategy.
Right now we’re talking about definitions that are yet to be determined by the federal government, but that will play a key role in decision-making regarding which projects gain stimulus funding for broadband networks. For funding purposes, certain communities will be designated as “un-served,” in terms of Internet access, and others will be designated as “underserved.” Baller comments that it’s likely these two categories will be considered separately, and that projects for those areas designated as un-served areas will get the higher priority for funding.
Karen Archer Perry, who leads the Knight Center’s Connected Community Team, pointed out that data on Internet penetration is difficult to compile in some communities. Many communities don’t have maps showing where fiber lines exist and without a ready source of information, data must be pulled from various sources which, in some cases, involves guesswork.
Even when you know the extent of, or lack of, broadband infrastructure existing in any one community, that alone can’t be the basis for assessing a community’s needs. Many other factors come into play, such as income and educational attainment, poverty levels and unemployment.
Decisions over details such as these will determine which communities, and which projects, end up with stimulus funding for broadband networks that, in turn, will impact job creation, economic development, the delivery of healthcare and education and public safety in cities and towns across America.
Tags: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, Baller Herbst Law Group, broadband, Broadband Expansion, community, digital divide, FCC, healthcare, infrastructure, innovation, Jim Baller, Karen Archer Perry, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Minneapolis, Obama, recovery.gov, stimulus, stimulus watch, underserved, unserved, Washington D.C.
Posted in Digital news, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, live blogging | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
Charles Benton is with us here at the Knight Center of Digital Excellence this afternoon. Besides heading up the Benton Foundation, which is focused on communications in the public interest, he is co-chairman of the National Broadband Coalition. He formerly worked in audio/visual publishing.
Benton is here to learn more about the work of the Knight Center.
For openers, he talked about the unprecedented spending as a result of the $787 billion stimulus plan.
As a part of the $7.2 billion for broadband networks, Congress charged the FCC with developing a plan for broadband deployment. The deadline for filing comments on a national broadband policy is June 8th. The FCC under Chairman Copp is demonstrating a new commitment to openness, and Benton cited examples to show “it’s not just talk.”
One could think of the stimulus package, in its focus on un-served and underserved, as an opportunity to build models that will be beneficial in the future. This is a time to talk about best practices and how to identify them. We should look to build from the models that are successful.
Mark T. Ansboury, Knight Center’s Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, took the floor to say that our nation needs to build good policy, so we have a strategy going forward that serves the public interest. There is a need for transformation at multiple levels. States, for example, need to have policies in place. Without such policies and organized plans, there is no model for consistent broadband infrastructure. Laying such groundwork requires political will.
In terms of winning stimulus money, larger projects that have broad support will stand out. Small projects need to be a beacon of light in order to get noticed.
Back to Charles Benton: There needs to be an opportunity for small innovation as well as big innovation. An innovation fund for smaller projects is one option.
Knight Center has a network that includes the 26 Knight communities. Speaking of best practices, there is an opportunity here to look at best practices within the Knight communities. This would push others nationally to come up with models that demonstrate best practices.
Tags: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, benton foundation, broadband, Broadband Expansion, Charles Benton, community, digital, digital divide, economy, FCC, infrastructure, innovation, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Mark Ansboury, National Broadband Coalition, recovery.gov, rural communities, stimulus, stimulus watch
Posted in Digital news, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Obama notes, Opinion, Stimulus Package, live blogging | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009
Last Friday, U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) introduced the Broadband Conduit Deployment Act which would require that when road construction projects are paid for with federal dollars, “an appropriate number” of broadband conduits must be laid down as part of the construction to “accommodate multiple broadband providers.”
Requiring this of already planned construction projects will spare communities from having to tear up the roads a second time, resulting in lower overall costs of future upgrades to the nation’s broadband infrastructure.
In a press release, Eshoo said, “According to industry experts, more than half of the cost of new broadband deployment is attributable to the expense of tearing up and repaving roads. By putting the broadband conduit in place while the ground beneath the roadways is exposed, we will enable any authorized communications provider to come in later and install fiber-optic cable at far less cost.”
Smart move! Communities have been loath to raise the cost of their highway projects to include conduit. By mandating it, Congress will integrate the process with existing transportation projects, and greatly save on future costs.
Eshoo, who also introduced the “Advanced Broadband Infrastructure Bond Initiative of 2009” in January, wrote into the conduit bill the ability for the Department of Transportation to easily waive the conduit requirement “if the Secretary determines such waiver appropriate with respect to a covered highway construction project.”
Eshoo and her colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee are co-sponsoring the legislation: Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), Communications, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Technology and the Internet Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher (D-Va). In the Senate, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) is working on similar legislation. We can only hope that more take an interest in understanding of the importance of conduit construction, pole attachment policies, and local public rights-of-way (ROW) permitting.
Eshoo’s bill has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure . You can track the bill’s progress here on the Knight Center of Digital Excellence Stimulus Center at http://www.knightcenter.org/stimuluscenter.html
Tags: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, broadband, economy, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, recovery.gov, stimulus, stimulus watch
Posted in Digital news, Knight Center of Digital Excellence | No Comments »
Friday, March 6th, 2009
On Friday both President Obama and Vice President Biden spoke at police academy graduation ceremonies – Obama in Columbus, Ohio, and Biden in Miami. Both focused on how the stimulus package will benefit both public safety and law enforcement.
What does that mean for the new cadets? More importantly, what does this represent for increased security and safety in our communities?
Project MESA (Arizona) predicts that the impact will be significant as it plans to utilize a cooperative process that develops revolutionary wireless platforms (more…)
Tags: bandwidth, Biden, broadband, Columbus, community, digital, FCC, Fla., Florida, infrastructure, KCoDE, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Miami, NTIA, Obama, Ohio, OneCommunity, police, Project MESA, recovery.gov, rural utilities, safety
Posted in Digital news, Knight Center, Obama notes, OneCommunity, Stimulus Package | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 4th, 2009
 If you’re not writing grant proposals for stimulus dollars, you’re leaving money on the table; it’s as simple as that.
Communities across the U.S. stand to lose significant money when it comes to building a broadband infrastructure. There is no national game plan, which means regions must craft their own – and the regions that strike first are likely to win.
Here’s what’s at stake: $7 billion in stimulus funding earmarked for broadband expansion.
And that is not counting other initiatives that could affect broadband projects. Business interests such as Intel, Google and Qwest are planning accordingly. Public interests should do no less.
Partnerships are critical. (more…)
Tags: bandwidth, broadband, digital, grant money, infrastructure, Internet, Knight Center, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Obama, president, recovery.gov, stimulus, utilities
Posted in Digital news, Knight Center, Obama notes, OneCommunity, Opinion, Stimulus Package | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, March 4th, 2009
By Scot Rourke
If there is a 21st Century Gold Rush, it’s now. And you really must rush if you want any chance at the nearly $800 billion in federally approved economic stimulus money.
Be sure of this: The most sophisticated communities and organizations have teams of grant writers at work. If you don’t, you need to get in the game quickly or lose your opportunity.
Here is a step-by-step process on what to do:
For simplicity’s sake, let’s focus on the roughly $100 billion in stimulus money set aside for technology-related projects, much of which will be awarded by federal agencies in the form of competitive grants. Examples include $7 billion for broadband. Nearly anyone can apply. Remember the goal is jobs – and jobs fast – and that means you need to have your plans and even your contractors lined up quickly.
Here’s what to do to begin the application process:
1. Go to the federal government’s Web site at www.Recovery.gov. ; you can also go directly to download from here: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
2. Don’t be overwhelmed. The language is straightforward enough. (more…)
Tags: bandwidth, broadband, CEO, community, Congress, digital, infrastructure, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Obama, recovery.gov
Posted in Digital news, Knight Center, Obama notes, OneCommunity, Opinion, Stimulus Package | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, March 4th, 2009
Proponents of broadband funding from the stimulus package often cite the promise of good-paying jobs that will rise out of “shovel-ready” projects, including the development of broadband infrastructure. One high-tech consultant projects about 10,000 jobs will grow out of broadband spending from the stimulus bill over the next five years.
A job often cited in the building of infrastructure is the $25-an-hour backhoe operator digging trenches to install fiber optic cable. However, not everyone is handy with a Komatsu or Caterpillar, and there are only so many of those shovel-ready jobs available. There are other jobs, (more…)
Tags: bandwidth, broadband, digital, infrastructure, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Knight Center of Digital Excellence Resource Center, OneCommunity, recovery.gov, Scot Rourke
Posted in Digital news, Knight Center, Obama notes, Opinion, Stimulus Package | 1 Comment »
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