Increased transparency, quality of service, and availability would make low-income residents more likely to adopt broadband Internet service, says a report recently commissioned by the Federal Communications Commission. Read More »
A report released last week by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies shows that while minorities are the fastest growing group of broadband adopters, significant barriers to adoption - age, income, and education - remain. The study was designed to highlight minority adoption trends and provide insight into factors affecting minority Internet use. Read More »
On Tuesday the FCC released its National Broadband Plan Consumer Survey which found that affordability and lack of computer literacy are the main reasons why 93 million Americans are not connected to high-speed Internet in their homes. The survey results bolstered existing statistics that 80 million adults currently lack high-speed Internet. Most cited affordability, digital literacy, and relevance as the main barriers to adoption. Read More »
The FCC recently released working recommendations for key priorities that will be part of next month's unveiling of the National Broadband Plan. The recommendations are meant to bring greater high-speed Internet availability to the health care, education, and energy sectors, and move the federal government into a new era of engagement and transparency. Read More »
The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) are seeking public comment on possible changes for the second and final round of funding from the Recovery Act stimulus. The agencies are requesting input on "procedural and policy aspects of the programs including ways to streamline the application process and best address privacy issues." Read More »
Two hundred library leaders, community activists, and broadband providers gathered in San Antonio on October 8 for the Texas Opportunity Online Broadband Summit, sponsored by Speed Matters partner Connected Nation. Attendees discussed how technology, policy, and community partnerships can improve broadband access to Texas' public libraries. Read More »
Are Americans getting less broadband than they pay for? Unfortunately, according to the FCC National Broadband Plan task force, the answer is yes. The task force gathering data for the National Broadband Plan is finding that many Americans are paying for broadband at speeds substantially lower than advertised speeds. Read More »
A new report by Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) Research Fellow Richard Bennett reviews the historical development of the Internet architecture and finds that contrary to claims that the Internet has always been a "dumb pipe," in fact, an extraordinarily high degree of intelligence is embedded in the network core. Read More »
A few weeks ago, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) held a workshop in which policy leaders recommended and discussed goals and benchmarks for the national broadband plan. The benchmarks fall into three categories: availability, quality, and cost. Read More »
A new report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project finds that young people are becoming increasingly engaged in politics online, and that overall online activity leads to traditional offline participation. Read More »
