Download or read book State and Federal Policies to Accelerate Broadband Deployment written by Lynne Holt and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 45 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the enactment of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, the federal government has taken an incremental and decentralized approach toward ensuring availability of broadband services for all Americans. The federal government and the states have tried to reconcile two sometimes incompatible objectives of promoting competition among broadband service providers and reducing gaps in broadband deployment between sparsely and more densely populated regions. Federal and state funding mechanisms have been used to subsidize supply and stimulate demand in regions where private cost-benefit analyses have not justified investments in broadband infrastructure. In the absence of a national broadband policy, states have initiated their own programs for identifying gaps in broadband services between rural and urban areas. This article explains how the federal-state partnership has evolved since 1996 to further broadband deployment and subscription goals, particularly in matters of shared public policy concern, such as health care services, education, economic development, and public safety and security. Finally, this article suggests a linear five-step approach for state broadband policy development in the context of this evolving federal-state partnership and rapidly changing technology. Examples of state laws enacted to facilitate broadband access are cited to illustrate state strategies toward reducing deployment gaps and increasing subscription. The Federal Communication Commission's latest order regarding data collection and its reconstituted Federal State Joint Conference on Advanced Services may provide an opportunity for joint state-federal strategic policy formulation in the vein of that adopted by some states described in this article.

Download or read book Telecommunications written by Mark L. Goldstein and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2009-11 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The U.S. ranks 15th among the 30 democratic nations of the OECD on one measure of broadband (i.e., high-speed Internet) subscribership. The FCC has regulatory authority over broadband, and several fed. programs fund broadband deployment. This report discusses: (1) the fed. broadband deployment policy, principal fed. programs, and stakeholders' views of those programs; (2) how the policies of OECD nations with higher subscribership rates compare with U.S. policy; and (3) actions the states have taken to encourage broadband deployment. To address these objectives, the auditor analyzed the broadband policies of the U.S. and other OECD nations, and reviewed fed. program documentation and budgetary info. Illus.

Download or read book Telecommunications written by United States Government Accountability Office and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-09-08 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The United States ranks 15th among the 30 democratic nations of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on one measure of broadband (i.e., high-speed Internet) subscribership. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has regulatory authority over broadband, and several federal programs fund broadband deployment. This congressionally requested report discusses (1) the federal broadband deployment policy, principal federal programs, and stakeholders' views of those programs; (2) how the policies of OECD nations with higher subscribership rates compare with U.S. policy; and (3) actions the states have taken to encourage broadband deployment. To address these objectives, GAO analyzed the broadband policies of the United States and other OECD nations, reviewed federal program documentation and budgetary information, and interviewed federal and state officials and industry stakeholders. In developing the required broadband plan, the Chairman, FCC, should work with the Departments of Agriculture and

Download or read book Broadband Internet Access and the Digital Divide written by Lennard G. Kruger and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2011-08 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contents: Introduction; Status of Broadband Deployment in the U.S.; Broadband in Rural Areas; Is Broadband Deployment Data Adequate?; Broadband and the Federal Role: The National Broadband Plan; Current Federal Broadband Programs: Rural Utilities Service Programs; The Universal Service Concept and the FCC: Universal Service and the Telecommunications Act of 1996; Universal Service and Broadband; Legislation in the 110th Congress; Legislation in the 111th Congress: P.L. 111-5: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; Other Broadband Legislation in the 111th Congress; Legislation in the 112th Congress; Concluding Observations. Tables. This is a print on demand edition of an important, hard-to-find report.

Download or read book Broadband written by Orlando Harrison and published by Nova Snova. This book was released on 2019-09-24 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Broadbandâwhether delivered via fiber, cable modem, mobile or fixed wireless, copper wire, or satelliteâis increasingly the technology underlying telecommunications services such as voice, video, and data. Chapter 1 focuses on the gaps specifically related to broadband availability and adoption. How broadband is defined and characterized in statute and in regulation can have a significant impact on federal broadband policies and how federal resources are allocated to promote broadband deployment in unserved and underserved areas as discussed in chapter 2. The move to place restrictions on the owners of the networks that comprise and provide access to the internet, to ensure equal access and nondiscriminatory treatment, is referred to as "net neutrality." While there is no single accepted definition of net neutrality most agree that any such definition should include the general principles that owners of the networks that comprise and provide access to the internet should not control how consumers lawfully use that network; and should not be able to discriminate against content provider access to that network as reported in chapters 3 and 4. The "digital divide" is a term that has been used to characterize a gap between "information haves and have-nots," or in other words, between those Americans who use or have access to telecommunications and information technologies and those who do not. Chapter 5 focuses on the one important subset of the digital divide debate which concerns high-speed internet access and advanced telecommunications services, also known as broadband. While there are many examples of rural communities with state-of-the-art telecommunications facilities, recent surveys and studies have indicated that, in general, rural areas tend to lag behind urban and suburban areas in broadband deployment. The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) houses three ongoing assistance programs exclusively created and dedicated to financing broadband deployment: the Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program, the Community Connect Grant Program, and the ReConnect Program. Chapter 6 discusses each of these programs. Tribal lands are generally in remote and rugged areas and broadband access can help residents develop online businesses, access telemedicine services, and use online educational tools. However, residents of tribal lands have lower levels of broadband access than residents of non-tribal lands. Chapters 7 through 11 report on the status of broadband on tribal lands.

Download or read book Broadband Internet written by Ellen S. Cohen and published by Nova Publishers. This book was released on 2008 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The internet has become so widespread that such issues as access, regulation and related policies have become major factors in the economy and social fabric of societies in every part of the world. Peoples without running water are demanding access to the internet and those without it are becoming deprived citizens. This new book examines current issues of interest to the blossoming area.

Download or read book State Grant Programs for Broadband written by Natassia Bravo and published by . This book was released on 2023 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite increasing reliance on high-capacity and reliable broadband Internet access for everyday activities, disparities in the availability of broadband infrastructure continue to persist. Gaps in access and adoption have been linked to geographic, demographic, socio-economic, market and policy factors. Closing the infrastructure gap remains a priority in broadband policy, yet the pandemic is prompting a shift in policy that now aims to simultaneously address digital equity concerns. State broadband grants can play a key role in closing the digital divide, tailoring funding requirements to support local Internet Service Providers and to promote equitable outcomes. With states receiving an unprecedented amount of federal funds through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program (BEAD), what can we learn from earlier state broadband funding approaches?This paper explores how state broadband grants were awarded in the period 2014-2020. We give a special focus on areas likely to have lower Internet availability and adoption - often rural, low-density and high-poverty. What impact do state policy criteria have on where funds are allocated? Does state policy design affect which communities receive funds? Did early state grant programs policies use state grant distribution to address digital inequity? We use data from 2014-2020 collected by The Pew Charitable Trusts on 724 grant-awarded broadband projects across 17 states, matched with data from ACS, the FCC and Temple University. We develop regression models of the impact of state program policies on the allocation of state broadband grants, using county-level socioeconomic and demographic variables and market characteristics (provider availability and adoption), as well as state-level policy factors.This paper provides insight on the various funding approaches taken by states to close the broadband infrastructure gap before the pandemic, and highlight key lessons for how BEAD funds may be structured. Our analysis also addresses broader implications for digital equity, raising questions about the role of states in expanding coverage in rural, low-density and high-poverty areas, and addressing the needs of rural, aging and minority individuals. We also identify the critical importance of the role of state policy in supporting communities with limited capacity and supporting market expansion.

Download or read book Economic and Policy Insights written by and published by . This book was released on 2023 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Telecommunications written by U.s. Government Accountability Office and published by . This book was released on 2017-08-17 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Increasingly, broadband Internet service is seen as critical to a nation's physical infrastructure and economic growth. Universal access to, and increased use and adoption of, broadband service are policy goals stated in the National Broadband Plan, which the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released in March 2010. Some recent studies indicate that despite achieving nearly 95 percent broadband deployment and globally competitive adoption rates, the United States has moved from the top to the middle of the international rankings. Other developed countries, which have made universal access and increased adoption priorities, rank higher than the United States in these areas, and their experiences may be of interest to U.S. policymakers. GAO was asked to address (1) the status of broadband deployment and adoption in developed countries, (2) actions selected countries have taken to increase deployment and adoption, and (3) how recommendations in the National Broadband Plan align with the selected countries' actions.GAO analyzed relevant information for 30 developed countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and visited 7 of these countries selected for their broadband policies and economic or demographic characteristics. GAO..."

Download or read book Federal Communications Commission Accelerating Wireless Broadband Deployment by Removing Barriers to Infrastructure Investment 703506 written by and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Broadband Deployment in Unserved and Underserved Areas written by Ralph Orsina and published by Nova Science Publishers. This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Broadband Internet service provides users and their communities with many opportunities to improve communications, including enhancements in e-commerce, telemedicine, and educational tools, and can drive economic growth, productivity, and innovation. Broadband is particularly critical to provide advanced communications to remote communities and offer rural Americans new ways to participate in our economy and society. This book examines what is known about the alternative approaches unserved and underserved areas have used to deploy broadband service and some factors considered in deployment decisions; stakeholders' views on broadband deployment in unserved and underserved areas; and efforts FCC has undertaken to foster broadband deployment in unserved areas.

Download or read book Wi Fi Everywhere written by Hannibal Travis and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cheap, ubiquitous high-speed Internet access promises to accelerate economic growth, create new jobs and industries, advance education and lifelong learning, inform and improve health care decision-making, and raise living standards. Conversely, foregone broadband access by low income and other underserved Americans is imposing high economic and social costs. As much as $1 trillion in economic growth may be delayed due to structural and legal limitations on U.S. broadband access. Since 2004, city officials across the U.S. have increasingly endorsed the idea of providing universal broadband access to their citizens. They hope to deploy wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) mesh networks to cast high-speed Internet signals across entire metropolitan areas. San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom has proclaimed that he will not rest until every San Franciscan has access to free wireless Internet service. Philadelphia is planning to provide Wi-Fi broadband access for a mere $20 a month throughout 135 square miles of the city. Other cities, from New York City and Atlanta to Chicago and Portland considered ways to equalize high-speed Internet service through publicly-funded Wi-Fi clouds wafting high-speed Internet signals across many miles. Finally, New Orleans has launched the nation's first free city-owned wireless broadband network, with plans to expand citywide to spur economic redevelopment. Citywide Wi-Fi as a public service is no longer a bureaucratic pipe dream, but has the backing of America's technological titans, as Google and Earthlink have offered to provide free ad-sponsored citywide Wi-Fi broadband in the city of San Francisco, and Intel has endorsed legislation that would liberate municipalities from anticompetitive restraints on their ability to contract with technology companies for city-supported Wi-Fi. Although universal access to telecommunications services is at the core of American telecommunications law and policy, the U.S. has fallen far short of achieving this goal. Forty percent of American homes lacked Internet access in 2003, often because it was too expensive. Roughly two-thirds of American households did not have high-speed Internet access in 2005. One-fifth of Americans had never used the Web at all. The provision of high-speed Internet access by private industry alone is leaving behind most of the poor, vast numbers of racial and ethnic minorities, and many residents of rural and inner-city communities. Forbidding monthly fees and surcharges for broadband, at up to five times the cost of a dialup Internet connection, remain the principal obstacle to universal broadband connectivity to the Internet. For tens of millions of other families, including over twenty million American households in rural or underserved areas as of 2005, broadband access is totally unavailable. The most controversial proposed solution to these gaps in broadband access has been for municipal governments, i.e. cities and counties, to offer broadband access as a public service. Over 600 municipalities offered such service as of 2005, a small but rapidly growing percentage of the over 18,000 municipalities in the U.S. Currently, however, more than fourteen U.S. states prohibit or restrict cities and counties from ensuring universal broadband access. Despite the proliferation and growing importance of such state law restraints, most legal scholarship on broadband policy has focused on common carrier rules imposed on broadband infrastructure providers, rather than federal and state laws on municipal competition in broadband markets. The primary thesis of this article is that Congress and the states should encourage cities and counties to provide free and low-cost Wi-Fi broadband to their citizens. The American public has a compelling national interest in equalizing access to computers and the Internet across racial, economic, and geographical lines. Municipal broadband projects, and particularly the provision by cities and counties of free or low-cost wireless broadband networks subsidized by tax revenues, hold great potential to bridge the digital divide. Existing municipal broadband efforts in the U.S., as well as state-subsidized broadband deployment in other nations, have already successfully brought broadband to previously underserved areas. Many nations with higher broadband penetration rates than the U.S., including Canada, Sweden, Japan, and South Korea, have developed municipal and government-supported broadband infrastructure to universalize access. Part II describes the history of the broadband market in the U.S., and the anticompetitive implications of the market's natural monopoly and network industry characteristics. Part III contends that a trio of recent Supreme Court cases construing the Telecommunications Act of 1996 achieved a sweeping deregulation of the broadband industry. An in-depth analysis of these cases - Nixon v. Missouri Municipal League, 541 U.S. 125 (2004), Verizon Communications, Inc. v. Law Offices of Curtis V. Trinko, LLP, 540 U.S. 398 (2004), and National Cable & Telecommunications Ass'n v. Brand X Internet Services, 125 S. Ct. 2688 (2005) - reveals that they have empowered the owners of broadband infrastructure with natural monopoly characteristics, such as telephone and cable networks, to act with near impunity in impairing their smaller rivals' ability to compete. As a result, congressional action is necessary to reinvigorate competition and promote municipal participation in the broadband marketplace. Finally, Part IV argues that a federal ban on municipal entry into broadband markets that has been proposed in the U.S. Congress represents an unsound public policy in light of the growing digital divide, and the capacity of municipal Wi-Fi networks to remedy it. Congress can best promote the federal policy of ensuring universal broadband service at affordable prices by passing legislation, such as the Community Broadband Act of 2005, which would preempt state laws prohibiting the municipal provision of broadband to underserved communities.

Download or read book The Case for a National Broadband Policy written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 16 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Regulation and the Deployment of Broadband written by James E. Prieger and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study examines the impact of telecommunications regulatory policy on broadband service deployment. Using U.S. data covering all forms of access technology (chiefly DSL and cable modem) and all areas served by major carriers, we investigate the impact of state and federal regulation on broadband availability. Alternative regulation increases the probability of broadband availability, particularly for price caps. Unbundled network element (UNE) rates, the prices incumbent carriers charge to competitors for access to the local exchange network, also matter. Areas with lower UNE rates have a slightly higher probability of broadband availability. The effects of UNE rates on broadband deployment are largest where incentive regulation is in place. Our objective in examining regulatory factors is to highlight the role of incentive regulation and local telecommunications competition policy - policies used or available around the world - in stimulating broad-band service deployment.

Download or read book Broadband Internet Access written by Angele A. Gilroy and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 14 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Broadband written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2002-02-25 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Broadband communication expands our opportunities for entertainment, e-commerce and work at home, health care, education, and even e-government. It can make the Internet more useful to more people. But it all hinges on higher capacity in the "first mile" or "last mile" that connects the user to the larger communications network. That connection is often adequate for large organizations such as universities or corporations, but enhanced connections to homes are needed to reap the full social and economic promise. Broadband: Bringing Home the Bits provides a contemporary snapshot of technologies, strategies, and policies for improving our communications and information infrastructure. It explores the potential benefits of broadband, existing and projected demand, progress and failures in deployment, competition in the broadband industry, and costs and who pays them. Explanations of broadband's alphabet soup â€" HFC, DSL, FTTH, and all the rest â€" are included as well. The report's finding and recommendations address regulation, the roles of communities, needed research, and other aspects, including implications for the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

Download or read book Broadband Networks in the Middle East and North Africa written by Natalija Gelvanovska and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2014-02-11 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The existing telecommunications infrastructure in the Middle East and North Africa MENA suffers from various regulatory and market bottlenecks that are hampering the growth of the Internet in most countries and related access to information and to potential new job sources.