NextGenWeb interviewed the FCC’s Elana Berkowitz, Director of Economic Opportunity for the Omnibus Broadband Initiative, and Mohit Kaushal, Digital Healthcare Director, immediately following their panel titled ” FCC Broadband Plan: Apps, Innovation and Inclusion” at the South by Southwest Interactive conference in Austin, TX.
Following an event on the recently released National Broadband Plan hosted by the Congressional Internet Caucus, NGW caught up with Barbara Esbin of the Progress and Freedom Foundation to get her thoughts on the plan. Click below to see the interview.
The integration of technology into K-12 education is a top priority for both the FCC and the Department of Education, and the challenges and objectives of both correlate nicely. Representatives from both agencies joined spokespeople from the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) this week to discuss the important steps their agencies, and other stakeholders, are taking to facilitate a 21st century education system that fully embraces all of the opportunities that a broadband connection can offer.
Susan Gendron, the President of CCSSO and the Maine Commissioner of Education began with her state’s new motto for education: “A personal digital device, at the point of learning, as defined by the learner.” Gendron sees tremendous benefits in students being increasingly connected and shared that even when the budget was cut in her state, Maine still continued funding technology.
Doug Levin, the Executive Director of SETDA, seeks to address the following questions through his work:
1) What are the ways we can address longstanding goals for education through technology?
2) Due to large societal shifts in technology, how are expectations for education changing?
He sees large-scale trends and opportunities changing the education landscape. He believes that rising student expectations, the need for new learning models and processes, and the potential to improve teacher and administrator effectiveness can all be addressed through technology. “None of this is possible without the technology infrastructure and policies that enable them.”
Karen Cator, the Director of Education Technology at the U.S. Department of Education talked about how she is going to utilize technology to make sure the U.S. is the highest nation per capita in college grads by 2020. She recited the following ways technology will achieve a 21st century model of learning. Also, watch our video below for more on her agency’s efforts including the site www.ed.gov/technology.
1) Learning (tech changing how people learn)
2) Assessments (real time identification of what is working)
3) Teaching (help teachers be as effective as possible – connect them to data and experts)
4) Infrastructure (every student needs broadband at school, at home, in their community)
5) Productivity (cost effective methods to meet education goals)
Finally, Steve Midgely, the Education Director for the FCC, discussed his agency’s approach to better integrating technology in education. To do that, he gave attendees a sneak peak at some of the education related recommendations that we can expect to see in the National Broadband Plan next week. Here are some of those:
The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, one of the nation’s leading research and public policy institutions whose work focuses primarily on issues of importance to African Americans and other people of color, hosted an event last week to commemorate the release of the their latest study, “National Minority Broadband Adoption: Comparative Trends in Adoption, Acceptance and Use.”
FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn was the first speaker and didn’t miss the opportunity to congratulate the Joint Center on what she described as a “thoughtful and thorough report of value.” Clyburn noted that the report accurately reflects that different communities have different needs and interests and that the study is a key piece of the puzzle as the FCC finalizes the National Broadband Plan.
The FCC’s National Broadband Director Blair Levin spoke next, acknowledging the role of USTelecom and the broadband providers as soon as he took the stage. Levin believes that although price can be a factor, people need to have the skill set to really embrace broadband for all of the purposes that broadband offers, from applying for jobs and social services online to the using the latest e-reader. The issue of making sure non-adopters understand the relevance of broadband to their everyday lives was a message that resonated loudly during another event last week that looked at a recent broadband survey conducted by former Obama campaign pollster Cornell Belcher.
Dr. Jon Gant, a Fellow with the Joint Center and lead researcher on the project, spoke next to present his findings, noting the use of a longitudinal database to analyze findings and statistically compare minorities. Overall, Dr. Gant found the following factors most influence whether minorities use broadband:
Of course, much like the recent report by FCC Consumer Research Director John Horrigan (who was also on hand to discuss both studies), Dr. Gant finds that among minorities, there is indeed a gap in adoption by education levels, a heavy dependence on public access to computers, and that some non-adopters are unaware of broadband availability.
NextGenWeb livestreamed the event and you can watch the archive here. Also, click below to watch our interview with Dr. Jon Gant and a reaction from Niambi Jarvis, a leading advocate for connecting minority women with power of technology.
The FCC has made clear that data will be a core component and driver of the upcoming National Broadband Plan, which is due to Congress on March 17th. To better meet their need for data, the FCC commissioned a survey to determine broadband adoption rates, the American public’s attitudes about broadband, and reasons why people may not subscribe to broadband. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski stood before a room filled with broadband policy stakeholders at the Brookings Institute yesterday to introduce FCC Consumer Research Director John Horrigan before he presented the results. The Chairman said he was “excited and proud of this development in our broadband work,” citing goals like remaining globally competitive, increasing our capacity to innovate, and embracing broadband for solving societal issues like education, healthcare, and the environment.
Horrigan started off by sharing some positive trends in adoption, including that 78% of Americans are Internet users and 65% use broadband at home, with increases among communities like Hispanics and rural-Americans. However, the 35% of those without broadband at home are the real concern, and as Genachowski said in his introduction, “there is no silver bullet to solving adoption.”
Horrigan took this survey as an opportunity to delve deeper into the non-adopter community. He had respondents list reasons for non-adoption that included general attitudes about broadband use to better understand and therefore address those issues. He also took the additional step of categorizing those people as “Digital Hopefuls,” “Near Converts,” “Digitally Distant,” and “Digitally Uncomfortable” to indicate their likelihood of conversion.
Watch the interview below with John Horrigan for more information and click here to read the results report in its entirety.
At an event in the U.S. Capitol today hosted by the Internet Innovation Alliance (IIA), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc., a group of leaders in the technology community, led by IIA co-chairs Bruce Mehlman and David Sutphen, discussed findings in a survey performed by former Obama Campaign pollster Cornell Belcher. The survey, conducted among 900 respondents in the African American and Hispanic communities, focused on broadband access, adoption and affordability.
Consistent with findings often referenced in the Pew Internet & American Life Project , Belcher’s study shows that cost and access are not the primary barriers – if barriers at all – to consumers in the African American and Hispanic communities choosing whether or not they adopt high-speed Internet service. Instead, once again we see the term “relevance” enter the equation, meaning there are people who are not making the connection between the Internet and an enhanced quality of life. Access to health care, education resources, the ability to stay connected with family, and entertainment are just a few of the things brought to us over broadband. In short, some in the African American and Hispanic communities – and beyond – still don’t see the Internet as a “game-changer.”
Navarrow Wright, President of Maximum Leverage Solutions, has become a leading voice on these and other broadband and technology issues. Wright attributes his professional success to not only embracing the Internet, but his ability and desire to understand and use it as a platform where he could showcase his talents. Wright, who recently called into question the need for a debate on Net neutrality, said that the government’s broadband policy needs to focus primarily on helping people understand the real value that the Internet has to their lives. Be sure to check out our interview with Navarro below.
These were themes echoed by other panelists, including Sylvia Aguilera, Executive Director of the Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership. Ms. Aguilera said specifically that broadband policy needs to focus on closing the digital divide, bringing employment opportunities to minority communities and tying broadband deployment to aggressive adoption programs.
The conversation then turned to the noise around the current Net neutrality debate, which has been amplified via the FCC’s open Internet proceeding. The panelists seemed frustrated at the attention Net neutrality is getting – as well as the resources and time being dedicated to that debate which they feel would be better-suited on more pressing issues, like educating consumers on the importance and relevance of high-speed Internet.
Wright said there are no concrete reasons the Net neutrality supporters can point too that justify placing new regulations on the Internet. Further, he asked how the government could create rules for everyone on the Internet when we still have so much work to do to get more people online. Ms. Aguilera picked up on that point saying that Net neutrality will not help close the digital divide. She said the time being spent on discussing the Net neutrality issue is taking away from collaborating on more pressing broadband issues facing the Hispanic community.
In a very healthy, candid discussion on challenges minority communities face when it comes to adopting broadband, one thing was clear – Net neutrality isn’t the answer. And worse, it detracts from a more pressing dialogue that needs to focus on the education of those who are not embracing the many promises that come with having a high-speed Internet connection.
The Mabuhay Alliance is dedicated to growing prosperous and thriving Asian-American communities and empowering the Asian-American voice. Of course, broadband plays a large role in both of those objectives. President and CEO Faith Bautista welcomed Jeff Brueggeman, Vice President-Public Policy for AT&T, Emilio Gonzalez, Vice President for Public Policy & Strategic Alliances for Verizon, and Robert Mooney, Deputy Director, FDIC Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection, to discuss the impacts of broadband in Asian-American life and what policies will best serve the Asian-American community.
AT&T’s Brueggeman discussed the work AT&T is doing to help with digital literacy and even affordability with programs like Lifeline. Brueggeman believes that the FCC should focus on the important issues like identifying such challenges to adoption and then trying to find creative solutions. Learn more in the video below:
Verizon’s Gonzalez agreed with the importance of tackling adoption issues. He also noted that the broadband industry continues to invest in broadband networks even in today’s tough economic climate, resulting in job creation as well as all of the benefits of the networks themselves. He believes policy should focus on the goal of getting everyone connected, regardless of income.
FDIC’s Mooney expressed concern for the “unbanked” and “underbanked,” but believes broadband is a solution to that challenge. He believes that Internet banking can play a key role in delivering the benefits of banking to people in low-income communities in particular.
Watch the videos below for reactions to the event from Kady Chiu of Kadidid and Hyepin Im of Korean Churches for Community Development, as well as archived footage from the event.
The FCC’s open Internet proceeding has spawned much conversation – and debate – over whether or not new regulations are required for the Internet of tomorrow. The Internet of tomorrow – just stop and think about what that means for a moment. While there are no doubt a handful of smart people out there who ten years ago may have envisioned the Internet of today, we feel safe in saying that the dynamic platforms that have exploded onto the scene these past few years weren’t on the radars of many. From YouTube to Twitter to rapid growth in eHealth and online commerce, the Internet has been a beacon of light in a rather stormy economy.
It’s hard to imagine whether these and countless other innovations would have manifested themselves on an Internet stifled with regulation. But what good is hindsight. Looking down the road, we have to ask what will our open Internet look like should the FCC issue rules that many fear (see below) will put a stranglehold on a thriving Internet and broadband marketplace. But you know where we stand – so you shouldn’t just take it from us. You should read the public comments filed during the FCC’s Net neutrality NPRM proceeding.
We’re talking civil rights groups, consumers and diverse advocacy organizations, high-tech companies, Internet experts and free-market thinkers. Many diverse viewpoints that have nonetheless found common ground on this issue and have cautioned the FCC to think about whether or not added regulations to an open Internet is the right policy move for the Internet of the future.
In addition, we caught up with Harry Alford, President of the National Black Chamber of Commerce and Justin Nelson from the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce to make sure they had a platform here on NextGenWeb to be heard. In these interviews you will hear important leaders from the minority community talk about the importance of a National Broadband Plan, and why Net neutrality is a step in the wrong direction when it comes to ensuring the rapid adoption of high-speed Internet by those Americans who are missing out on the promise.
It’s a critical time – and we want these voices to be heard.
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