WASHINGTON, March 3, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Nearly ayear after the issuance of the National Broadband Plan (NBP), theplan's lead architect told a policy gathering on Wednesday that theFederal Communications Commission did not take the right approach toincreasing broadband adoption among low-income households, and thatit should be changed.
Blair Levin, who was Executive Director of the Omnibus BroadbandInitiative at the FCC during the NBP's formulation and now serves asSociety Fellow at the Aspen Institute, said that the plan should nothave counted on transitioning the Universal Service Fund (USF) asits core strategy for expanding broadband access in for poor andrural households in underserved areas. The USF currently providessubsidies to support basic monthly telephone service and initialinstallation or activation fees through the Lifeline/Link-upprograms.
"Having wrestled with this problem for another year, I nowbelieve the best thing we can do to enable more low-incomehouseholds to get connected to broadband is not to expand theexisting Lifeline/Link-up program, but rather to phase it out andbuild a broadband program on a different foundation," Levin said.
Levin made his comments at a Washington forum, "The NationalBroadband Plan and the Underserved - One Year Later," sponsored bythe Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a think tankthat focuses on issues concerning people of color. Edward Lazarus,Chief of Staff to Chairman Julius Genachowski at the FederalCommunications Commission also delivered opening remarks.
The event included a panel of media and technology experts whodiscussed the nation's progress on expanding broadband services tounderserved communities.
Mandated by Congress under the American Recovery and ReinvestmentAct, the National Broadband Plan received widespread praise as thenation's first large-scale strategy for achieving affordability andmaximizing use of broadband across all segments of society.
In reflecting on the broadband plan's success, Lazarus noted thePresident's State of the Union address included several referencesto high-speed Internet as essential to America's economic growth andcompetitiveness. Further, the President's budget endorsed three ofthe National Broadband Plan's "most important initiatives" includingincentive auctions to repurpose spectrum, reforming the UniversalService Program, and funding an interoperability public safetybroadband network.
Despite these signs of progress, one-third of Americans still donot have broadband access, and African Americans and other people ofcolor continue to lag behind the nation at large in getting online.Broadband adoption rates among low-income, rural, and disabledAmericans also indicate more innovative strategies are needed toclose the digital divide.
Panelists noted a number of challenges to adoption, includingaffordability, the need for computer training, and lack of relevantcontent for minorities. Some said spectrum reform is also criticalto expanding access especially given the high rates of Internetaccess via mobile devices by African Americans and Hispanics.
Panelists offered a number of recommendations to increase accessand move the broadband plan forward. These included free publiceducation online, targeted outreach and education to minoritycommunities, and public information portals that aggregate contentfor African American and other communities of color. Panelistsagreed that creative solutions are needed to prevent non-adoptersfrom falling behind in the digital age.
"As you prepare for any career, you have to be able toparticipate in the digital world. Increasingly, it is necessary forfull participation in our democratic society," said Ralph B.Everett, President and CEO of the Joint Center. "What would yourprospect in life be if you did not have access to the Internet ordid not know how to use it?"
To read Blair Levin's speech in its entirety and to hear audio ofthe event, visit www.jointcenter.org.
The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is one of thenation's leading research and public policy institutions and theonly one whose work focuses primarily on issues of particularconcern to African Americans and other people of color. To learnmore, please visit www.jointcenter.org.
SOURCE Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
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