The FCC’s latest broadband report finds that approximately 26 million Americans, mostly in rural communities, have no access to broadband. Even where broadband is available, one in three Americans — 100 million people — do not subscribe, due to high costs, low digital literacy, or concerns about privacy. Read More »
Many small and medium-sized rural businesses are thriving thanks to their adoption of broadband technology. Despite being geographically isolated from other more populous areas, the Internet allows businesses to market products and services from virtually any location in the United States. Read More »
The federal government's Rural Health Information Technology Network announced a $12 million grant program to help physicians and hospitals in rural areas implement electronic health records (EHRs). Eligible applicants include Native American tribal governments and 501(3)(c) nonprofit organizations. Read More »
It is long past time for the FCC to update the Universal Service Fund to support broadband, CWA said in comments filed at the FCC. CWA supports the FCC's proposal to create a unified, broadband-focused Connect America Fund. Read More »
On March 2nd, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies hosted a forum that assessed whether the Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Plan is being implemented in a timely manner and whether it is positively impacting underserved populations. Attendees included Blair Levin, the "architect" of the Plan, along with Ed Lazarus, Chief of Staff to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, and several other policy experts. Read More »
The acquisition of T-Mobile USA by AT&T is good news for everyone who realizes that the United States needs to catch up to the rest of the world when it comes to broadband speed and buildout. Read More »
The Federal Communications Commission took the first step towards modernizing the low-income Universal Service support programs known as Lifeline and Link Up. The FCC released a 137 page Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comments on its reform proposals. Read More »
The Universal Service Fund, which currently supports affordable telephone service, urgently needs to be updated for today's communications market. As profiled in a recent New York Times editorial, an FCC proposal for the fund would shift its focus to supporting high-speed broadband. Read More »
A new National Broadband Map shows the extent of the digital divide in America, giving President Obama's goal of advancing America's digital future a clearly defined roadmap. Read More »
The thought of civil rights often brings to mind images of historic marches and boycotts. A generation ago, such undertakings brought attention to unequal treatment, encouraging action among those who could work to promote equality. In the age of information, inequality doesn't look the same as it did in the 20th century. Today's civil rights challenges include digital inequality. Read More »
