Great conversation at the Broadband Census breakfast on Tuesday morning on “setting the table for a national broadband plan.”

Leading the conversation:

Joe Waz, SVP, Comcast

Aaron Smith, Research Specialist, Pew Internet & American Life Project

Joanne Hovis, President-Elect, NATOA

Bruce Kushnick, Executive Director, New Networks Institute

Waz talked up the investment underway from broadband providers, and how it is delivering ever-greater speed and innovation to consumers.  He noted that demand for broadband stimulus funds greatly exceeds the $7.2 billion committed by Congress, and noted the need for resources particularly on the adoption side.

Hovis pointed to the long-time engagement of local governments in broadband deployment, and noted that her local peers “believe fiber is an essential part of where we go on broadband.”

Pew’s Smith talked up the latest broadband usage trends.  “When we look at the populations offline or using dial-up and ask why they are not on broadband, availability is not the key issue.”  Usability and relevance were far more significant factors, he said, lending credence to the FCC’s focus on digital literacy.

On the adoption front, Smith added that small steps lead to bigger steps.  A senior might first be motivated to get online to receive pictures of the grandkids, he noted, but then they see the world of resources available to them.  “We don’t see a lot of people who get broadband, try it and decide they don’t like it.  Clearing the initial hurdle is the tricky part.”

Missed the breakfast club this month?  You can always catch up on the conversation in October, when the talk turns to health care and telemedicine.

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