US BROADBAND COALITION RELEASES On November 13, 2009, the US Broadband Coalition released its report "Expanding and Accelerating the Adoption & Use of Broadband Throughout the Economy" in the Federal Communications Commission's main hearing room. The US Broadband Coalition is a diverse array of more than 160 organizations working toward a comprehensive national broadband strategy to ensure America's success in the emerging knowledge-based global economy. The Coalition includes communications providers of all kinds, high-technology companies, manufacturers, labor unions, educational institutions, utilities, consumer groups, public interest organizations, units of state and local government, and many other stakeholders in America's broadband future. AGENDA Welcome
Featured Speaker - Why Adoption and Usage is Critical to National Policy Brian David - Director, Adoption and Use, FCC National Broadband Plan Task Force Leadership Panel - Creating the Framework for Broadband Adoption and Use
Adoption and Use Panel - Sector by Sector Review of Policy Options
Wrap up and Q and A
The report was authored by a working group co-chaired by Karen Archer Perry from the Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Charles Benton from the Benton Foundation, Link Hoewing from Verizon, and Kenneth Peres Ph.D. from the Communications Workers of America and the Alliance for Public Technology. "While disagreeing on many issues, the Coalition reached consensus on the need to accelerate and expand adoption and use of broadband throughout the economy. This report contains a sector-by-sector analysis of barriers to more extensive adoption and use of broadband, and it presents dozens of creative policy options to overcome these barriers," said Jim Baller, an attorney with the Baller Herbst Law Group and the founder and president of the US Broadband Coalition. "The report reflects 10 months of intensive work by more than 30 people representing over 25 organizations," Perry said. "We did not merely focus on increasing adoption and use of email, web browsing, and other traditional forms of Internet access service, but we also drilled into ways to accelerate the adoption and use of broadband in economic development, health care, education, public safety, energy and the environment, and in strengthening democracy and civic engagement." For Further Information Contact: |