Continuing our spotlight on broadband and local government, we want to highlight a new online communication tool for people inside local government to better learn from each other.  Started by DC’s own open government champion Mike Rupert, Localgovchat is a discussion that takes place on Twitter on a weekly basis (Wednesdays at 9pm EST).  People are encouraged to login and tweet to share their issues and ideas around local government.

But for localgov communications folks – who tend to be the public relations, media relations, community outreach, graphics designers, publicists, webmasters, copyeditors, community managers, speechwriters, consiglieres, etc. for their one single elected client – we have our own set of issues, talents and limitations. Let’s help each other.

To add your comments to the conversation, simply tweet using the #localgovchat hashtag. You can also get involved by searching the #localgovchat hashtag, by following @localgovchat on Twitter, or dropping by the LocalGovChat Blog.

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Broadband deployment and adoption are not only priorities at the federal level, but also among state and local government bodies.  A broadband connected community brings jobs, economic development, new forms of civic participation, and so much more.  And with that, state and local governments are recognizing the impact and getting proactive.

So how can state and local government bodies get involved?   They can set broadband connectivity goals, work with stakeholders to enact supportive broadband policies, and also encourage adoption from diverse backgrounds that comprise a community.

The FCC has taken steps to support governments in these efforts, in addition to the National Broadband Plan.   Broadband.gov houses presentations that showcase state and local level best practices and toolkits for proceeding with a state and local broadband plans.

NextGenWeb is also working to support broadband at the state and local level.  This week, we look forward to sharing success stories from policymakers, a webinar for those considering this issue led by “Mayor of Broadband” Graham Richard, and much more.  We’ll get things started with the interview below.  We recently spoke with John Horrigan, former Director of Research for the FCC’s National Broadband Plan, for his take on the broadband at the state and local level.

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The FCC released a working paper on December 6, based on results from a survey conducted in April that set out to understand customer’s feelings toward their broadband service. The new paper found that 93% of broadband users in the United State are “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied” with their broadband service. This may come as a surprise to those who have heard certain groups try to paint a picture of doom and gloom for the American broadband industry (which is one of the reasons we take issue with “rankings” like those put out by the OECD).

As we’ve said before, the broadband industry is a light in an otherwise dim economy. This paper shows that not only are America’s broadband providers creating jobs and powering the economic recovery, but their customers are rewarding them with high satisfaction levels seen in few other industries.

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NextGenWeb recently attended the Internet Innovation Alliance (IIA) event, “Implications of Washington Telecom Policy on Jobs, Investment, and Economic Growth.” Michael Powell, Former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and currently Senior Advisor at Providence Equity Partners, gave the keynote address to kick start the discussion.

The event also brought together a panel to discuss Net neutrality and the effects it will have on jobs during this fragile time of economic recovery. The “view from Wall Street” panel approach, as it was called, sparked conversation on the importance of broadband and what regulation will mean for investments, job creation, and adoption. The panelists at the event included:

Rebecca Arbogast, Stifel Nicolaus
Craig Moffett, C. Bernstein, & Co., LLC
James Ratcliff, Barclays Capital
Jeff Silva, Medley Global Advisors, LLC

After the event, NextGenWeb was able to meet up with Rebecca Arbogast, Managing Director, Stifel Nicolaus. Watch the interview below to hear her thoughts on the impact of regulations on jobs and economic recovery.

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(Photo by Alex Howard @digiphile)

This morning, thought leaders in the technology policy space gathered at the Brookings Institution for several panels related to the topic of Internet Policymaking.  As new Internet policy issues arise, most of which were not considered when our current communications laws were created, we face a challenge of meeting governance demands.   Who is best suited to meet those demands?  Panelists seemed to agree that consumers play a central role.

Participants in the conversation “Users As Regulators: The Role of Transparency and Crowd Sourcing As A Form of Oversight” included:

• Moderator: Phil Weiser, Senior Advisor to the Director for Technology and Innovation, National Economic Council, The White House
• Mark Cooper, Research Director, Consumer Federation of America
• Cynthia Estlund, Catherine A. Rein Professor of Law, New York University School of Law
• Kathy Brown, Senior Vice President, Public Policy Development and Corporate Responsibility, Verizon

Consumer advocate Mark Cooper believes that crowdsourcing for policing can work if the information is accurate and actionable.  Acknowledging the complexity of the issues, he suggested that the era of writing detailed rules is over, which Kathy Brown of Verizon quickly agreed.  Similarly, Brown advocated that old style regulation won’t work in today’s Internet ecosystem and for self-regulation through transparency to reach a greater democracy.  “We agree that the consumer is central.  The question is, what role?”  Academic voice Estlund took the concept even further, noting that transparency is key not just for Internet customers, but for all citizens.

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NextGenWeb recently sat down with George Gilder, Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute, Editor in Chief of the Gilder Technology Report, and contributing editor to Forbes magazine (for a complete bio, click here). Gilder is a prominent American economist who has focused on the technology and telecommunications sectors for more than two decades. His book, “Life After Television,” was an incredibly accurate prophecy on the future of computers and telecommunications. Gilder has recently been writing and commenting on telecommunications policy, and how it effects economic growth and job creation.

Gilder’s overarching theme is investment, and how increased regulation, specifically the reclassification of broadband as a Title II “telecommunications service”, would harm private investment. In the interview below, Gilder discusses his vision for the future of the Internet, how new applications will require large amounts of bandwidth, and how private investment will be the primary driver to ensure that high-capacity broadband networks continue to be built out across the United States.

Click below to hear more of Gilder’s vision.

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Broadband policy thought leaders from government, industry, and think tanks gathered to address key broadband policy challenges yesterday at the Phoenix Center Telecom Symposium.  Examining the promotion of jobs and innovation, participants expressed their views on the best policies for a thriving Internet ecosystem from a global perspective.

Blair Levin, the leader of the FCC’s National Broadband Plan, now a Fellow with the Aspen Institute, delivered the keynote address.  Levin urges that America’s future rests on what he calls a ‘high performance knowledge exchange platform.’ Noting that our broadband technology revolution is powering changing information exchanges and the economy, even in traditional job sectors like manufacturing and agriculture, Levin wants to focus on improvement and diversity. “Most things in internet ecosystem doing very well.  We don’t need massive government intervention.”

Dr. Michael Mandel of the Progressive Policy Institute and Chief Economist Visible Economy LLC, drove home a vivid point about the direction that broadband policymakers should take when it comes to regulation, after reminding attendees that the communications sector is a main driver of economic growth.  “It’s simple. Do you want to see investment increase or decrease by as much as 20%?”

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Thought leaders gathered at the New America Foundation yesterday to discuss the role of technology in social innovation and civic participation.  Based on two recent National Science Foundation workshops, panelists explored the advantages and challenges that the world of new digital tools opens for participation.

University of Maryland Professor and Dean of the College of Information Studies Jenny Preece kicked off the discussion by exploring the social, human side of what motivates people to participate, citing egoism, altruism, collectivism, and principlism.  It’s these motivations combined with the technology infrastructure that, she explained, are advancing our design of social participation.  Additionally, the government transparency movement is providing even more opportunities to engage the public.

Sonal Shah, Deputy Assistant to the President in the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, added that technology is also making data go a long way.  But she cautioned that metrics are just the beginning.  She believes we need to assess actions and outcomes and then get that information out to all communities.   “It will be an interesting opportunity to make information usable, like trends.”

Shah urged that the government and the public identify success stories and then elevate and scale them, in order to optimize success.  On the other hand, she reminded the audience, agencies still use old technologies too to ensure a diversity of response.  “It’s not just access to technology, but access where they are comfortable and can ask questions.”

I also had the opportunity to talk with Lucas Cioffi, a leader in the civic participation movement and the founder of http://www.onlinetownhalls.com/.  Watch the video below to learn about how Cioffi is educating the government and the public about using broadband technology to further participation.

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Earlier this morning, Governors Jeb Bush and Bob Wise released the Digital Learning Council’s 10 Elements of High Quality Digital Learning. The Digital Learning Council’s vision is for every student to have access to a high quality education no matter where the child or the teacher reside. With the extended reach of broadband to nearly all of America’s homes, schools and libraries, reaching all students via the Internet is a real prospect.

NextGenWeb has previously reported on the innovation of full-time virtual charter public schools that have been growing throughout the United States over the past 10 years. And what we’ve learned is that high speed Internet is key to transforming education in our current globally connected, technology-centric environment.

By bringing education online, students receive customized and personalized learning services so that they can learn at a pace and style that suites their needs. This, in turn, will amplify every student’s chance for success now and in the future. Having a knowledgeable, digitally educated workforce will also move this country forward in terms of jobs and economic opportunities.

Governor Wise said in a speech on Tuesday that with states’ high budgets and soaring costs, it’s a great time for innovation. States have the ability to make online learning a reality throughout the country, but they must be willing to redevelop the education infrastructure.

Other session discussions at the 2010 National Summit on Education Reform circled around online education, blended learning, digital textbooks and other customized learning techniques to spearhead this generation of children into our ever-growing digitally connected world. Education expert and Ed Reformer blogger Tom Vander Ark noted in one session that logistically and technologically, the United States is able to teach every child via cyber schooling, but politics unfortunately stand in the way.

It is for such reasons that NextGenWeb has stressed the importance of focusing our policy priorities on issues such as broadband adoption and digital literacy, rather than regulation. Improved education depends on it.

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Today marks the beginning of the online shopping marathon. The day labeled as “Cyber Monday” is the largest online shopping day of the year for most retailers. As people recover from the Thanksgiving holiday and get back to the work grind, they turn their computers on and surf the web for products they missed during “Black Friday” madness.

Retailers are covering their websites today with web only promotions to increase the draw this day typically brings. The National Retail Federation (NRF) reported online sales to be in the $107 million mark, up from the $96.5 million last year. Total online sales for this holiday season are thought to increase 11% from 2009 numbers. That is a huge increase in sales from only one year ago.

As the internet becomes more and more prominent in our lives, it also becomes the first choice for many of our daily activities. NextGenWeb continues to report on the benefits broadband can bring to our lives, and this just adds to our list. Whether it’s avoiding crowds, shopping in between bites during your lunch break, or reducing your carbon footprint, online is the way to shop this holiday season!

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