COMMISSIONER JONATHAN S. ADELSTEIN RESPONDS TO NTIA REPORT ON BROADBAND (0)
Posted 27 February, 2008 in News
Washington, DC – In response to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s release of “Networked Nation: Broadband in America 2007,” Commissioner Adelstein released the following statement:
“With only half of adult Americans participating in the broadband age and U.S. consumers paying far more than citizens in other countries for less bandwidth, this report appears to be missing some key chapters. Noticeably absent is any coherent strategy going forward. This report relies on widely-discredited data in a strained effort that only distracts us from the real work ahead. Rather than bragging about dubious accomplishments, we need to quickly implement a new agenda for expanding our broadband capabilities.
Despite the hard work of broadband providers and the dire need for greater bandwidth, the U.S. continues to slide down virtually every measure of the international rankings of broadband competitiveness. The truth is we’re behind, we are falling further, and we pay more per megabit than many of our global competitors.
Far from declaring victory, we need a national strategy for delivering affordable, truly-high speed Internet connections to all Americans, no matter where they live. Each day we fail to take realistic account of our successes and failures and rise to the broadband challenge means lost opportunities for our communities and our country’s productivity, health, public safety, environment, and economic future.”
FCC COMMISSIONER MICHAEL J. COPPS QUESTIONS NTIA’S BROADBAND REPORT (0)
Posted 27 February, 2008 in News
In response to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) report entitled “Networked Nation: Broadband in America 2007,” FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps issued the following statement:
“Networked Nation? If the United States were a networked nation consumers would be paying half as much for broadband connections 20 times as fast. That’s what many consumers around the globe get. Instead, NTIA slices and dices bad data (full disclosure: much of it from the FCC) in ever more outlandish ways to reach the conclusion that all is well – don’t worry, be happy. If we spent more time developing strategies for truly ubiquitous and affordable broadband rather than watching our international competitors lap us at every turn, we actually might have something to crow about.
“I take particular issue with the report’s claim that broadband problems exist only in rural and sparsely-populated ‘pockets’ of America. Of course we need to get serious about expanding the availability of broadband to all Americans no matter where they live. But the broadband system we have today is a problem even for those of us who live in densely populated metropolitan areas like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. – where customers pay far too much for speeds that are turtle-slow by international standards.
“NTIA is swimming upstream against the tide of independent reports that seem to come out daily finding that when it comes to broadband, we are falling further and further behind. Whether it is the OECD ranking of 15th in the world or the countless other rankings showing even worse results, this is not where the United States needs to be.”
FCC AND USDA TO CONDUCT REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS (0)
Posted 26 February, 2008 in News
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will conduct four educational workshops focused on rural broadband during 2008. The workshops will provide communities and organizations in rural America seeking to bring the benefits of broadband to their communities with an opportunity to learn about the resources, programs, and policies of the FCC and USDA.
The topics to be covered at the workshops include: the different technology platforms used to provide broadband services, USDA funding for broadband deployment, the FCC’s Rural Health Care Pilot program, and wireless spectrum access. The workshops will also provide communities and organizations an opportunity to share their experiences about broadband deployment in rural and hard-to-reach areas.
One rural broadband educational workshop will be held in each of the four regions of the country – Northeast/Mid-Atlantic, South/Midwest, Central, and West – according to the following schedule:
April 30, 2008: Blacksburg, Virginia
June 19, 2008: Saginaw, Michigan
September 18, 2008: Austin, Texas
November 20, 2008: Phoenix, Arizona
The information provided will be similar at each workshop. The workshops will be held free of charge; however, attendees will be responsible for providing their own transportation, lodging, and meals.
If you are interested in attending a particular workshop, please register no later than February 25, 2008. Below is the information required to register:
o Community/Organization Name
o Address
o Phone Number
o Email Address
o Contact Person
o Workshop Location You Wish to Attend
o Number of Expected Attendees
o Description of Accommodations Required for People with Disabilities
(Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities will be made available upon request.)
There are several ways for you to register for a workshop:
o Online. Go to the FCC’s website at http://wireless.fcc.gov/outreach/ruralbroadband/workshop and fill in the online registration form.
o By Email. Send the information outlined above in an email to ruralworkshop@fcc.gov.
o By Telephone. Call (877) 480-3201 and press Option 1.
For TTY, dial (717) 338-2824.
o By U.S. Mail. Send a letter with the information outlined above to:
Federal Communications Commission
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau
ATTN: Chelsea Fallon
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554
A community or organization can register for only one workshop. The contact person listed in the registration will receive additional information at a later day regarding the workshop selected, including the exact time and venue, as well as a detailed agenda.
For additional information about the workshops, please visit the FCC’s website at http://wireless.fcc.gov/outreach/ruralbroadband/; send an email to ruralworkshop@fcc.gov; or contact Chelsea Fallon at Chelsea.Fallon@fcc.gov or (202) 418-7991, or Cecilia Sulhoff at Cecilia.Sulhoff@fcc.gov or (202) 418-0587. Further information on rural programs is available at a local USDA Rural Development office and on the USDA’s web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov.
FCC commissioners bash NTIA’s 2007 U.S. broadband report (0)
Posted 26 February, 2008 in News
By Traci Patterson
CedMagazine.com - February 01, 2008
Broadband is growing dramatically in the U.S., according to a report from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), but some FCC commissioners disagree.
The report, entitled, “Networked Nation: Broadband in America, 2007” (download here), claims that the NTIA’s technology, regulatory and fiscal policies have stimulated innovation and competition and encouraged investment in the U.S. broadband market, contributing to significantly increased accessibility of broadband services.
Four years ago, President Bush established a national goal of universal, affordable broadband access for all Americans.
The NTIA said that according to the FCC’s 2006 data, broadband service was available in 99 percent of the nation’s zip codes, encompassing 99 percent of the nation’s population. The administration also said that since President Bush took office, the total number of broadband lines in the U.S. has grown by more than 1,100 percent – from almost 6.8 million lines in December 2000 to 82.5 million in December 2006, according to the most recent FCC data.
In addition, the NTIA said that by December 2006, 91.5 percent of zip codes had three or more competing service providers, and that more than 50 percent of the nation’s zip codes had six or more competitors.
Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein responded to the report with the following statement: “With only half of adult Americans participating in the broadband age and U.S. consumers paying far more than citizens in other countries for less bandwidth, this report appears to be missing some key chapters. Noticeably absent is any coherent strategy going forward.
> > > More: http://www.cedmagazine.com/FCC-commissioners-bash-NTIA-2007-US-broadband-report.aspx
Also see:
Networked Nation: Broadband in America, 2007
DigiGirlz Summer Camps (0)
Posted 15 February, 2008 in News
Microsoft is having a summer camp for girls from grades 9-12, pass it on to friends and other students who may be interested.
For application and additional information go to the following website:
www.mirosoft.com/about/diversity/programs/camps.mspx
Microsoft is once again requesting our assistance in getting young women to apply for their DigiGirlz Summer Camps. Camps will be held this year in the following eight locations:
Charlotte, NC
Chicago, ILL
Fargo, ND
Irvine, CA
Las Colinas, TX
Redmond, WA (corporate)
Stony Brook, NY
Washington, DC
They are now accepting applications to Microsoft’s DigiGirlz High Tech Camps We are requesting your assistance in promoting this learning opportunity for high school girls. The camp was developed to provide girls with a better understanding of what a career in technology is all about. This exciting three to five day experience provides opportunities to learn about careers in technology, talk with Microsoft employees about their life experiences, and enjoy hands-on computer and technology workshops.
What Participants Can Expect
* Hands-on learning sessions to educate
* Keynote Speaker series to inspire
* Career/technology tours to heighten awareness
* Resume and interview workshops to prepare
* Employee panels to answer questions
Application Details
To apply, girls need to complete the online application form which is available at:
https://www.microsoft.com/about/diversity/programs/camps.mspx
In addition to providing contact information, the girls will be asked to answer two essay questions. After being selected into the program, they will receive a packet of information with additional forms for completion.
They will also be asked to submit a letter of recommendation from a teacher or counselor.
The documents must be completed and returned in order to be fully registered for the camp. Girls must currently be in 9th-12th grade to be eligible. This camp is free of charge to participants.