Connected Nation & iHigh.com Announce Partnership

National nonprofit working for broadband expansion joins forces with nation’s top website featuring youth sports

Youth sports have always been a cornerstone of communities across our nation -- families, friends, and neighbors united in cheering on the young talent.  That is why Connected Nation is proud to announce our new partnership with iHigh.com -- a company that helps promote and strengthen the passion for youth supports through the innovative use of broadband.

Jim Host, chairman and CEO of iHigh.com said of the new partnership: “I have always been impressed with the direction and leadership of Connected Nation - we are delighted to have them as part of our team.”

iHigh.com provides schools, colleges, and other youth-related organizations with free web tools and video streaming. Students, coaches, alumni, boosters, and other supporters can easily connect with other athletes and teams at a local, state, and national level. iHigh.com is the No. 1 website in the country with live streaming of youth activities with more than 6,600 active schools and 24,000 users from the US and around the world.

The partnership with Connected Nation will allow both organizations to excel in their shared ambition to connect more schools, businesses, communities, and families through innovative broadband use and adoption.

Fort Myers High School, one of the largest schools in Florida, is using iHigh.com to broadcast its 2011-2012 boys' basketball season. Today for the first time, fans, family, and college recruiters can capture the Pre-Season Tip-off Classic vs. Coral Gables LIVE here: http://www.ihigh.com/fmhs/index.html. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. EST.

We encourage you to check out the game and support our new partners. If you would like to get your school connected through iHigh.com’s free, web streaming portal contact us at info@connectednation.org.  For more information on upcoming events, partnerships, and broadband news, be sure to Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter today.

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Connected Nation in Attendance at Esri International User Conference

By Ashley Littell, Manager, GIS Services

This past week in San Diego, California, a contingent of Connected Nation’s GIS Services Team was in attendance at the Esri International User Conference. This event is considered to be the premier conference for GIS, mapping, and any other geospatial needs in today’s market.

The event this year was record-breaking, as Esri President Jack Dangermond indicated at Monday’s Plenary Session that there were almost 15,000 attendees this year, making it the largest group to ever attend the annual Esri event.

A variety of technical sessions, exhibits, special interest group meetings, and map galleries were spread throughout the agenda, providing an overwhelming number of resources for GIS professionals. The conference provides an opportunity to learn more about the power of GIS through technical workshops, forthcoming features and software releases, and a chance to network with other GIS users to discuss challenges and successes in their own environments.

One particularly beneficial event, just in its second year on the agenda, was the GIS Managers’ Open Summit. This event was designed to bring together a subset of the GIS community in management, a supervisor or director role, and even C-level executives in attendance at the conference. Considered an “unconference” event, the summit provided a mix of user presentations and breakout sessions to “engage in conversations with peers on topics that relate to business efficiencies, ROI, managing data,” and other ideas presented by those in attendance.

"The User Conference was an awe-inspiring event showcasing amazing new product capabilities with technical sessions and demonstrations on virtually every topic imaginable,” said Sarah Finne, Connected Nation GIS analyst. “GIS has made so many advancements in the last couple of years, especially with public data exchange and Web mapping. It was exciting and very informative to learn from these industry leaders and developers."

Connected Nation has had staff at the conference each year since 2008.

For more information, please check out the Esri UC Blog.

Group Forms to Expand Broadband in Humboldt County, Nevada

By Jeremy Thacker, Communications Specialist, Connected Nation/Connect Nevada

Local leaders in Humboldt County are laying the groundwork to create new jobs and boost the economy across northeast Nevada. The Humboldt Development Authority (HDA) board has officially joined Connect Nevada’s statewide initiative to expand broadband adoption and use in its region. The leaders met Tuesday in Winnemucca to form a local advisory committee in support of the effort to increase technology use.

The local planning teams are organized by Connect Nevada. The nonprofit is working to accelerate the availability and use of technology throughout the state to create a better business environment, more effective community and economic development, improved healthcare, enhanced education, and more efficient government.

Connect Nevada’s program coordinator presented to the HDA board at its meeting. Lindsey Niedzielski explained the process of forming a regional planning team. The team will eventually be responsible for decisions about how to increase broadband use among all area homes and businesses through public and private partnerships.

“High-speed Internet enables access to quality jobs, information, and vital services ranging from interactive telemedicine to higher education,” says Niedzielski. “Connect Nevada, with the support of the Nevada Broadband Task Force, is undertaking the important work of grassroots regional planning to grow and expand technology use in our communities. We are thrilled that Humboldt County leaders are working with us.”

According to Connect Nevada’s latest broadband availability research from the Nevada Broadband: Preliminary Overview of Broadband Infrastructure & Adoption in Nevada report:

- Approximately 22%, or one-fifth, of households in Nevada have broadband available, but for various reasons do not subscribe. Connect Nevada is working to raise the awareness of broadband’s benefits so that more residents will get online

- In Humboldt County, 95% of households have access to the minimum 768 Kbps download speed service, while 53% of Humboldt County has 3 Mbps download speed service available

Humboldt County has approximately 5,733 households and relies heavily on fixed wireless and mobile broadband services with significantly less cable and DSL services available. There is currently no fiber service available. This puts the county slightly below the state average in broadband availability.

Percentage of Humboldt County households served by broadband technology platform:

- Cable – 63.69%

- DSL – 62.69%

- Fiber – 0%

- Fixed Wireless – 86.6%

- Mobile Wireless – 97.51%

Connect Nevada has partnered with the Governor’s Broadband Task Force and is working with broadband providers to speed up the expansion of broadband in unserved and underserved areas. The organization is pinpointing remaining gaps in Nevada’s broadband availability.

Connected Nation Celebrates GIS Day

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day is a perhaps not well known but growing celebration of a technology with global significance.

Events marking the day are scheduled across the country, from open houses hosted by university geography departments to school presentations, workshops, and technology demonstrations.

One of the national leaders in using GIS in innovative ways is located in Kentucky in a city better known as the home of the famous Corvette sports car.

Bowling Green, Kentucky-based nonprofit Connected Nation (www.connectednation.org) is leading broadband mapping efforts in 12 states and Puerto Rico and is the largest single mapping entity through the NTIA’s State Broadband Data & Development Program contributing to the creation of a national broadband map slated for release in 2011.

In partnership with ESRI, Connected Nation developed BroadbandStat, a cutting-edge mapping application that uses GIS technology to provide unprecedented views of a state’s broadband landscape.

“GIS is an amazing tool because it can be applied in almost any aspect of life that can be spatially represented,” said Ashley Littell, manager of GIS services for Connected Nation. “Connected Nation has been able to use GIS to map broadband services and analyze areas that are currently unserved with the Census Bureau’s demographic data to help lead policymaking and expansion efforts to increase broadband availability in several states across the country.”

GIS Day is held in the third week of November, on the Wednesday during Geography Awareness Week, a geographic literacy campaign sponsored by the National Geographic Society, and is also sponsored by the Association of American Geographers, University Consortium for Geographic Information Science, the United States Geological Survey, The Library of Congress, Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, and ESRI.

UPDATE: NextGenWeb to live stream FCC Field Hearing Featuring Connected Nation State-level Digital Inclusion Work

At 7 p.m. Eastern, NextGenWeb will live stream the Federal Communications Commission’s Field Hearing in Memphis. The digital inclusion work of Connected Tennessee, a Connected Nation state-level initiative, will be highlighted during the event.

Connected Tennessee’s executive director Michael Ramage will speak at one of a series of FCC’s public hearings promoting an open discussion between the commission and the public on the development of a national broadband plan.

View the live feed here.

In addition, Connected Nation has submitted a number of comments to the FCC, adding its voice to the public discussion. The filings cover a variety of topics including education, healthcare, economic opportunity and broadband adoption.

To view the filings, click here.

Connected Nation State-level Digital Inclusion Work Hightlighted at FCC Public Hearing

Connected Tennessee’s Executive Director Michael Ramage Invited to Speak at Federal Communications Commission’s Field Hearing in Memphis

Memphis, Tenn. -- Today, the digital inclusion work of Connected Tennessee, a Connected Nation state-level initiative, will be highlighted during a Federal Communications Commission’s field hearing in Memphis.

Connected Tennessee’s executive director Michael Ramage will speak at one of a series of FCC’s public hearings promoting an open discussion between the commission and the public on the development of a national broadband plan.

In Tennessee, work to provide expanded access to and use of broadband has seen significant success. Since Connected Tennessee’s 2007 inception, more than 250,000 Tennesseans have gained access to broadband.

Connected Tennessee has accomplished this goal by involving all of Tennessee’s 95 counties in a technology planning and outreach process called e-Community Strategies. Through this process, each county creates local leadership teams, comprised of leaders from both the private and public sector. These teams work to create county-level technology plans in order to address a particular county’s challenges related to technology growth.

In addition to this process, Connected Tennessee has distributed more than 2,100 computers to children, families and community-based organizations through its Computers 4 Kids program. In October, Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids program was awarded a “community service” award at the 7th annual TechStar Awards in Kingsport, Tenn. The honor was given for the program’s commitment of time and resources to improve the community through technology.

Following the success of state-based programs like Connected Tennessee’s Computer 4 Kids, Connected Nation and several leading technology companies including Intel, Fujitsu, Velocity Micro and ZT Systems announced in August the creation of Every Citizen Online (SM), a public-private partnership program that will enable computer ownership and broadband use in low-income and unconnected homes throughout the United States.

The program will help vulnerable populations overcome the top barriers to adoption: broadband awareness and training, computer ownership and subscription affordability.

Joining together technology companies and local entities, the program will provide digital literacy and help unconnected consumers purchase a new broadband-enabled computer using an instant rebate, bundled with a year of discounted broadband service.

Related Links:

Press Release: Connected Nation Partners with Technology Leaders to Apply for Broadband Stimulus Funds to Connect More U.S. Households

About: Every Citizen Online (SM)

Whitepaper: Investing in Sustainable Broadband Adoption (PDF)

News Article: Intel's Maloney talks beer and broadband (The Hill, 10/29/09)

News Article: Q&A with Brian Meffford, CEO, Connected Nation About Every Citizen Online (Wireless Government Report, 12/07/09)

News Article: http://connectednation.com/in_the_news/connected_nation_in_the_news/2009/08/us-stimulus-intel-invests-in.php

News Article: Intel, Dell, Fujitsu Partner with Nonprofit to Increase Low-income Internet Access (The Daily Tell, 08/18/09)

News Article: Connected Nation, Technology Stalwarts Launch Every Citizen Online (Cherokeean Hearld, 08/19/09)

News Article: Connected Nation: Access Not the Biggest Problem (TMCNet, 08/14/09)

News Article: Intel, Dell Join Nonprofit To Bring Cheap Internet Svc To Poor (Dow Jones Newswire via The Wall Street Journal, 08/13/09)

View press release here.

Connect Kansas Grant Funding Announced in News Conference

Today, Kansas Lt. Governor Troy Findley and Kansas Department of Commerce Secretary Bill Thornton hosted a news conference to unveil Kansas’ $2 million federal grant for the Connect Kansas rural broadband initiative.

Connected Nation has been chosen by the Department of Commerce to assist with the state’s mapping and planning activities. In addition, the Information Network of Kansas and the Kansas Farm Bureau have provided required matching grant funds.

To learn more, visit Connect Kansas’ Web site or the CN news blog.

New Video and Research Shows that Libraries Play a Key Role in Connecting the Disconnected

Connected Nation launches New Video and Policy Brief, “Connecting America Through Broadband at the Library”

In recent research and activities, Connected Nation has found that libraries, across the country, are playing a critical role in connecting America’s disconnected. And, Americans are already speaking out about how libraries are transforming their families’ lives through broadband.

Connected Nation has captured some of these stories in a video called “Connecting America Through Broadband at the Library.” In addition, Connected Nation’s survey research--which was recently filed in a policy brief with the Federal Communications Commission—further validates the important role libraries play as a community technology hub.

Below are some of these testimonies.

Along with this anecdotal evidence, Connected Nation conducted surveys across the states of Tennessee and Ohio to better understand the role of libraries in the broadband age. The report has been filed with the FCC, encouraging the commission to consider the important role community anchor institutions—specifically libraries—play in the national broadband plan.

Key findings of this survey research include:

• Significant percentages of those who normally don't subscribe to broadband – specifically single parents, minorities and low-income residents – are relying on the local library as their sole or primary Internet resource: 25 percent of single parents, 25 percent of minorities, 18 percent of low income residents, and 11 percent of people with disabilities depend on libraries for Internet connections.

• More than one-half of library Internet users (51 percent) have children at home, suggesting that a significant portion of library Internet users are children. Of this group, 42 percent do not have a broadband connected computer at home.

• Library Internet users are significantly more likely than other Internet users (those who connect at home or elsewhere) to use a number of online applications related to workforce development and education, civic engagement and healthcare.

• Nearly half of library Internet users (46 percent) search for jobs online, compared to 29 percent of other Internet users.

• Library Internet users are significantly more likely than other Internet users to communicate online with local government officials (25 percent compared to 14 percent.)

• 28 percent of library Internet users communicate online with healthcare professionals, compared to 16 percent of other Internet users.

To view the filing, click here. To view more data from this survey, click here to view graphs.

These voices and research are already helping Connected Nation work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in a pilot program called Opportunity Online.

This initiative partners the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Connected Nation and the American Library Association to host broadband summits for librarians, public and private leaders and other influencers in six different states.

These summits help communities across each state devise a plan for greater library connectivity, especially for libraries that cannot offer broadband connected computers. Following the summits, the libraries are offered the opportunity to apply for grants to help fund their connectivity plans.

To learn more about the Opportunity Online summits, click here.

For more information, contact Jessica Ditto at jditto@connectednation.org or (202) 251-4749.

Related Links:

FCC Filing: Connecting America through Broadband at the Library:
A Connected Nation® Policy Brief

Watch Video: Connecting America Through Broadband at the Library

Connected Nation Provides FCC with Teleworking Research

In a recent public notice, the Federal Communication Commission said that broadband is “transforming the way we work, enabling employees to work wherever and, often, whenever.”

That includes opportunities for the nearly 35 million that are eager to telework, according to Connected Nation research recently filed with the Federal Communications Commission.

Also, according to Connected Nation’s research,

• An estimated 17.5 million Americans who do not currently work would join the country’s workforce if given the opportunity to telework through a broadband connection. This includes more than 3.9 million retirees, 2.4 million homemakers and approximately 3.9 million adults with disabilities who report that teleworking would make employment compatible with their lives.

Connected Nation applauds the FCC in its recognition that home broadband service is not only a means of entertainment, but also a vital tool to empower America’s 21st century workforce. Connected Nation’s research has shown that teleworking can provide new opportunities for the American workforce, but to do so, home broadband availability and adoption must both increase in order to realize the full potential growth.

Connected Nation filed this research and other comments with the FCC, providing valuable information on the financial, personal, educational and environmental impacts of teleworking.


Key findings include:

• Nearly nine out of ten teleworkers rely on a broadband connection to work from home, and the broadband connection speeds of teleworkers are significantly higher than the average broadband user.

• The increased income earnings of these 17.5 million potential new teleworkers is estimated at $739 billion annually, including an additional $163 billion for retirees, $103 billion for homemakers and an additional $166 billion for adults with disabilities.

• With the addition of a potential 17.5 million newly employed teleworking Americans, net federal revenue is estimated to increase by more than $256 billion annually – and this accounts only for income tax revenue, social security revenue and federal disability savings.

• CO2 emissions are expected to drop by an additional 105 billion pounds a year if those interested in teleworking had the opportunity to do so. When combined with the emissions reductions from current teleworkers, this is more than the CO2 emissions produced by every passenger car in the states of New York and California each year.

• Nationally, teleworkers save approximately $5.7 billion annually in fuel alone. If every American worker who would like to telework were enabled to do so, that would result in additional fuel savings of nearly $13.6 billion per year for these Americans. Such a reduction in fuel consumption will significantly contribute to the national goal of energy independence.

To view the entire filing, click here .

Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids shows power of technology at home

Audrey Carey was born and raised in Gallatin, Tennessee but moved to Atlanta several years ago with her four children.

After living there for five years, Audrey was called at work one day that her home had caught on fire. Her children were home, and thankfully, no one was hurt. The house, however, was destroyed.

Audrey and her kids lost everything and were forced to move from place to place until finally settling into a shelter. Not long after that, Audrey packed up her four kids and all their belongings and moved home.

The day after commenting to her mother about how badly she needed a computer for her kids, Audrey received a letter in the mail from her Department of Human Services case manager telling her she would soon be receiving a brand new computer from Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids program.

She had been selected based on her outstanding performance in the DHS Families First program, a program that emphasizes work, training and personal responsibility. “My kids started jumping up and down,” she said.

Today Audrey is working at a nursing home, attending night school to obtain her GED, and preparing for massage therapy school. And, thanks to her new computer, Audrey’s daughter was recently able to perform research to win an essay contest that won her a $500 prize.

For Audrey and others benefiting from Connected Tennessee’s Computer 4 Kids program, a home computer and the subsequent use of broadband in their home can change their lives.

At Connected Nation, we recently announced a partnership called Every Citizen Online (SM) which will sponsor these kinds of computer donations and literacy education throughout the United States.

To learn more about Every Citizen Online (SM), click here.

Small Businesses in Ohio Benefit From Expanded Broadband Access

From left, Phil Taylor demonstrates some of the facets of his small business, Taylor Made Countertops, to Gallia County Commissioners President Justin Fallon, Governor’s Office of Appalachia Director Fred Deel, AT&T Director of External Affairs B.J. Smith, and Kingsley Meyer of the University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College.

Elizabeth Rigel/photo, with permission

Taylor Made Countertops sits along Ohio 141 near Patriot, Ohio in Gallia County. Owner Phil Taylor purchases solid surface, an acrylic material used to make his custom countertops, from an out-of-state manufacturer that has increasingly moved its sales online and even offers discounts for buyers who purchase over the internet, according to an article in the Gallipolis Daily Tribune.

However, Taylor openly admitted in an article in the Gallipolis Daily Tribune that using the Internet, in it current dial-up state, just isn’t worth the effort.

“Dial-up (Internet) takes so long that I don’t usually have time to do it,” Taylor told the Gallipolis Daily Tribune.

However, Taylor and others in the communities of Cheshire, Mercerville, Patriot and Vinton in Gallia County and Arabia-Waterloo in Lawrence County, won’t have to worry about slow-dial up speeds, thanks to a recent public-private partnership between the state of Ohio and AT&T, according to the article. Connect Ohio, a Connected Nation initiative, also contributed to the effort.

Thanks to this partnership, residents within three miles of central locations in Gallia and Lawrence County can now hook in to these connections. Four broadband packages are available for purchase, ranging from approximately $20 to $35 in cost per month.

This is just one example of the power of ubiquitous broadband. The work of Connected Nation and its state-based initiatives continually strives to form public-private partnerships in an effort to ensure all Americans have access to high-speed Internet for all areas their lives.

To learn more about our work, visit http://www.connectednation.org/.

Mapping in the Stimulus Plan

The New York Times recently wrote an article regarding the value of a nationwide broadband inventory as described in the federal stimulus plan. The article provides various points of view and justifications for the $350 million price tag currently allocated for a “nationwide inventory map of existing broadband service capability and availability in the United States.” Connected Nation and its many state-based affiliates have long been developing and updating similar broadband efforts and these maps are valuable vehicles for change among the state broadband landscape.

However, as Connected Nation’s experience has demonstrated and as Congress and the Obama administration have so aptly laid out in the new “broadband stimulus,” the broadband service inventory is only one component of the required efforts to ensure that everyone has access to broadband and is able to realize the value of getting connected. As laid out in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (and as funded by the $350 million for state grant programs) the broadband inventory must be complimented by:

Efforts to increase awareness of broadband availability, adoption and applications;
Statewide public-private partnership that is dedicated to full broadband deployment;
Community-level demand creation program that brings together local citizens to educate them and energize the opportunity of broadband; and
Computer distribution programs to put computers in the hands of low-income households.

Simply put, these broadband inventories outline where broadband is and where it is not. Understanding the landscape of the broadband environment as well as available connectivity options develops educated consumers and entices providers to build out. Coupled with serious and comprehensive demand side activities, these inventory maps become a critical tool in addressing the challenges to digital inclusion.

As prescribed in the stimulus and as included in Public Law 100-385 (the Broadband Data Improvement Act) Connected Nation works closely with the private sector throughout all efforts to successfully improve digital inclusion in our states and local communities. During map development, we work closely with telecom providers of all types and sizes to exchange detailed versions of their coverage data. Provider information is sometimes unavailable at the start of a process, it is rarely in any standard format and it always requires special considerations on the part of the aggregator so that a certain level of confidentiality is upheld for the most sensitive data.

This engagement with the private sector at all points in the process allows for more informed decision-making for companies and more effective policy making among the public sector. It is the essence of effective public-private partnership. We commend Congress and President Obama for taking the bold step to enable this type of partnership in each and every state. America will be better for it.

Connected Nation’s Summary of the Broadband Data Improvement Act

Connected Nation applauds the bipartisan support of federal legislation dedicated to ensuring that all Americans enjoy the benefits of a broadband connection.

Passed by unanimous consent in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, S. 1492 – the Broadband Data Improvement Act – is the culmination of almost two years of work by the Commerce Committees in both chambers. Congress working in a bi-partisan manner achieved consensus on a national broadband plan that includes as a cornerstone the Connected Nation model of public-private partnerships leveraging their combined power to improve the quality-of-life for all Americans.

In the Broadband Data Improvement Act, Congress agrees that broadband deployment and adoption results in enhanced economic development, enhanced public safety, healthcare and educational opportunities, and improves quality of life. The Congress also stipulates that continued progress in deployment and adoption are vital to America’s future, that better federal data on broadband will help this progress, and that the federal government should assist in state efforts to create public-private partnerships.

S. 1492 takes action to improve the knowledge of the federal government on the status of broadband in the U.S. through directives to the FCC, the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Comptroller General, and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Through new collected information from consumers and broadband providers, and studies on broadband, these provisions will help inform federal activity on broadband policy in the years to come. In addition, statewide broadband availability maps must be compiled by the Department of Commerce into a national broadband map.

The Broadband Data Improvement Act also creates a new competitive grant program to spur the creation and support of state-based broadband initiatives. In order for states to access grant funds, they must work with a nonprofit to:

• Create a statewide broadband availability map
• Increase broadband availability by working with broadband providers and the public sector
• Increase broadband adoption using grassroots demand aggregation
• Conduct research to assess the barriers to technology use
• Create a Computers4Kids™-like program that puts computers into the hands of at risk children

Statement from Connected Nation’s CEO
"By passing this bill unanimously in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, every member of Congress has promoted the importance of broadband and the related technologies that are enabled when communities and families have the ability and desire to connect to a world of opportunity. We appreciate the U.S. Congress’ support and leadership on this matter, particularly of those many Members of Congress who directly sought the input of Connected Nation as they crafted this groundbreaking legislation. Congress has demonstrated an appreciation of the need to ensure that all people, regardless of their location or socio-economic status, have the ability to realize the promises of technology. Connected Nation is heartened by both the bipartisanship demonstrated in the passage of this crucial legislation and the wide coalition of groups and interests that joined together to ensure it was passed before Congress adjourns. For the United States, this new broadband policy will mean better education, more jobs, improved healthcare, more efficient government and a better quality of life accessible for all Americans, regardless of their location or socio-economic circumstances.”

-- Brian Mefford, CEO of Connected Nation, Inc.

With an Eye to America's Future Economic Prosperity Congress Unanimously Passes Historic Broadband Legislation

Today, S1492, the Broadband Data Improvement Act, passed the Senate unanimously after moving through the House yesterday in the same fashion – and is now on its way to the President’s desk. As such, every member of Congress has promoted the importance of broadband and the related technologies that are enabled when communities and families have the ability and desire to connect to a world of opportunity.

Whenever a broad coalition has invested greatly in successfully promoting policy that is of personal importance and relevance we are easily given to lofty praise and accolades of the highest kind. Today, that inclination is only fueled, not dampened, by the current economic crisis facing the United States.

One of the hallmarks of American fortitude is that even in the face of divisive debate our nation’s leaders are capable of working together to promote and enable a vision for a better tomorrow.

For the United States, this new broadband policy will mean better education, more jobs, improved healthcare, more efficient government and a better quality of life accessible for all Americans, regardless of their location or socio-economic circumstances.

Connected Nation has been but only a part of ensuring that Congress would take such a bold step to ensuring the strength of America’s leadership in a global and intensely connected economy.

To the numerous individuals and organizations who have invested so much time and energy into the process of shaping and promoting a national broadband policy we offer heartfelt gratitude. Moreover, to the Members of Congress, particularly the sponsors and the members of the committees of jurisdiction and their staff who have invested so much as well, we are indeed appreciative and humbled by your service to the country. Connected Nation will work doggedly to make certain that the return is high on this investment in progress.

Now is the time to put our shoulder into the work before us. We look forward to continuing this effort with such an esteemed and broad coalition as together we engage with communities across the nation to ensure that all of our citizens are able to access the promise of innovation and ingenuity - the promise of the American dream.

Thank You.
Brian Mefford

Need for Broadband Transcends Cities, Towns, and Communities

Mark McElroy's post on NextGenWeb today is below and at http://www.nextgenweb.org/news-and-blog-clips/the-need-for-broadband-transcends-cities-towns-and-communities

Access to broadband, and furthermore use of broadband, is imperative for U.S. citizens to maintain their competitive edge in an increasingly global economy. Broadband allows educational, employment and healthcare opportunities that would otherwise remain out of reach for many. At Connected Nation, our goal is ubiquitous broadband availability and a radical increase in household and business broadband adoption, and we realize that collecting accurate data and mapping out broadband penetration is an important first step. There is good news on this front as the Congress is poised to give final approval to S.1492, the Broadband Data Improvement Act.

At Connected Nation, I have personally seen communities go to great lengths to gain access to broadband. I have pictures of telecom workers using mules to run fiber in hilly rural Kentucky. I have pictures of entire towns turning out to receive their broadband matching grants. I have met Valerie Davis. Valerie has multiple sclerosis, but with broadband she can work from home, and care for her children, and maintain a sense of normalcy that before broadband was unattainable.

These stories and thousands of others show that the need for broadband transcends cities, towns, and communities. It’s not just urban areas who want and need broadband. Urban and rural areas, alike, have much to benefit and gain from broadband deployment and use. We have seen in Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio that public-private partnerships can help us reach our collective goal of a connected nation, but I cannot stress enough the need for effective broadband mapping policies and the critical role of public/private partnerships. S. 1492 is a positive step forward in the right direction.

Based on what we have seen that has proven effective, four principles are necessary to create an effective broadband mapping policy. First, it must be relevant to consumers - consumers need to be able to see that they can indeed get broadband at their address. Second, it must be relevant to providers - we need to be able to demonstrate where and why providers should extend and improve their networks. Third, we need to make it relevant to policy makers - we must assure policy makers that there is suitable infrastructure throughout the country and help pinpoint rural and other areas where public resources may be necessary. Fourth, we need to incorporate digital literacy – understanding that access to broadband’s opportunities hinges not only on connectivity, but understanding how to use that foundation to lead a higher quality of life. Mapping policies that serve the needs of consumers, the public sector, the private sector, and communities, can make national broadband deployment a reality.

Connected Nation Praises the Congress for Acting on Broadband Legislation, Urges the Senate to Act Swiftly to Finalize S 1492

As Congress has worked on several pieces of “must-pass” legislation over the last several days, the Senate and House have worked to finalize a broadband bill that will provide funding for statewide initiatives that will accelerate broadband and produce a positive financial impact that Connected Nation has estimated to be $134 billion annually across the nation.

Last week the U.S. Senate passed S. 1492, the Broadband Data Improvement Act. The text of S. 1965, a bill intended to protect children from cybercrime, was also included in the Senate passed version of S. 1492.

Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed S. 1492 with a technical correction that requires the Senate to pass the new amended version. The technical correction, which pertained to the portion of the bill containing S. 1965, did not impact the Broadband Data Improvement Act’s provisions, and we are hopeful the Senate will act swiftly to pass S. 1492 and send it to the White House for the President’s signature.

A broad coalition comprised of all sectors of the telecommunications community including labor, industry, numerous interest groups and Connected Nation has worked cohesively to press the importance of this bill and the need to finalize it before Congress adjourns this year. The Broadband Data Improvement Act recognizes the value and need for public-private partnerships in a national broadband strategy, as well as the need to focus on both the supply of and demand for high-speed Internet at the community level. Passage of S1492 will create a national broadband map and will spur the creation of statewide broadband initiatives in all 50 states.

US Chamber Calls for Passage of S1492 Broadband Legislation

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world's largest business federation representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region, strongly supports S. 1492, the “Broadband Data Improvement Act,” which would authorize funding to states for public-private partnerships focused on identifying gaps in broadband coverage and on increasing the supply of and demand for broadband in these areas.

A February 2008 study released by Connected Nation, a national non-profit, estimated the total annual economic impact of accelerating broadband across the U.S. to be more than $134 billion.

The Chamber believes telecommunications is the central nervous system of the U.S. economy. In particular, broadband applications and services have the power to transform the American economy by spurring investment and innovation in sectors across the economy, including e-commerce, education, healthcare, communications, entertainment, and government. A broadband connection allows businesses, no matter how small or where they are located, to sell to customers everywhere.

Fostering public-private partnerships will spur broadband deployment and adoption across the United States. Therefore, the Chamber urges you to support S. 1492.

Sincerely,
R. Bruce Josten

Congress Has Opportunity to Connect the Nation

Below from Link Hoewing over at the Verizon Policy Blog

Last night during the first presidential debate, Senator Barack Obama included the deployment of broadband technology to all Americans as one of the economic priorities he would establish if he became President. Senator John McCain supports the deployment of broadband technology and calls it a “top priority” to ensure deployment as widely as possible.

All year, both house of Congress have been considering legislation that would, among other things, establish grant programs to support mapping initiatives in the states to identify gaps in broadband deployment and to help fund the efforts of groups in the states, like Connected Nation, focused on promoting the deployment of broadband. The legislation, S. 1492, has passed the Senate and is now pending in the House. Over the last several years, we have made great progress in a number of states in promoting broadband deployment using mapping strategies and “e-teams” focused on encouraging deployment and helping people get training and PCs so they can take advantage of broadband.

There is abundant evidence that broadband technology can promote economic growth, energy efficiency, improved education programs and better health care. The multiplier effects of broadband technology are immense. Relatively small investments in broadband can encourage substantial returns in economic growth, new jobs and innovation. Dozens of organizations – from the Alliance for Public Technology to the Communications Workers of America to companies like Verizon and Cisco – support S. 1492. Congress can take a big step to promote a healthy economy by passing this legislation and I hope it does so today.

http://policyblog.verizon.com/PolicyBlog/Blogs/policyblog/LinkHoewing9/537/Pass-Legislation-to-Promote-Broadband-Deployment-.aspx

US Senate Commerce Committee Hearing “Why Broadband Matters”

Today, the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing designed to take a step back, look at the larger picture, and examine the importance of broadband in the daily lives of Americans. Chairman Daniel Inouye (HI–D) captured it well in his opening remarks – “This is why our discussion today is not about pipes and providers. It is about people; our citizens stand to gain the most from universal broadband adoption.”

Representatives of the AARP, the American Library Association, the American Telemedicine Association and the head of an Alaskan health corporation (which relies on distance medicine to effectively treat 28,000 patients in a geographic area the size of Oregon) all hammered home the point that broadband services are critical to healthcare, employment, education and quality of life for everyone in the United States. They told the stories of Americans who directly benefit from broadband.

Rey Ramsey, head of the One Economy Corporation, stressed the importance of broadband policies that focus on aggregating demand for and adoption of broadband services, reiterating a point made often by Connected Nation - local applications that have value and use in day-to-day life drive demand for broadband services. One Economy “is a global nonprofit that leverages the power of technology and information to connect low-income people to the economic mainstream.”

Larry Cohen, the President of the Communications Workers of America, pointed to Connected Nation’s initiative, Connect Ohio, as an example of successful public-private partnerships that bring together the public and private sectors to overcome broadband availability gaps, increase broadband adoption (particularly in low-income and rural populations) and deliver measurable improvements to the American quality of life. Cohen also recommended, as did other witnesses, that the Senate pass S. 1492, the Broadband Data Improvement Act, which would speed the creation of comprehensive broadband initiatives in the states.

The need for a comprehensive broadband initiative across the country is important to many Americans. Connected Nation joined a coalition of thirty-one associations, companies, and non-profits to send a letter to both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives on July 11, 2008 calling for the completion of broadband mapping and demand aggregation legislation before the close of the 110th Congress (S. 1492, the Broadband Data Improvement Act; H.R. 3919, the Broadband Census of America Act; or a combination of these two bills).

With time running out before Congress adjourns in advance of the November elections, the time for action is now – a point well made during today’s hearing.

(More information on today’s hearing can be found here: http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=9e474249-4555-4df9-bee2-975ea1752d97 )

Discussion of HR 3919 in House Commerce Committee

Discussion of HR 3919 in House Commerce CommitteeDiscussion of HR 3919 in House Commerce Comittee. Buzed 0 1 views 0 comments. Click here to watch the video Tags:ConnectKentucky Connected Nation Broadband policy Computers for Kids No Child Left Offline.Buzly.com - Recently Added - http://www.buzly.com/