Broadband infrastructure is expanding job opportunities and increasing access to healthcare in rural villages across the world. The latest example comes from Uttar Pradesh, India. Read More »
With the price tag of college tuition rising and unemployment growing, distance learning is allowing community colleges to increase enrollment without overburdening finite resources. Thanks to broadband, offering courses virtually has never been easier - and that's good news to the nation's community colleges, which are being swamped by job seekers going back to school. Read More »
According to a study by ABI Research, the market for broadband-enabled consumer devices - which range from smart phones and readers to GPS and mobile gaming systems - is expected to grow by a factor of 55 over the next five years. Read More »
In front of an audience of social justice advocates, the FCC's Blair Levin declared that "broadband can help people get access to better jobs, better education, better health care information and improved government services" - and it can broaden equality overall. Read More »
During an appearance on C-SPAN's The Communicators, CWA President Larry Cohen proposed ambitious goals for the expansion of broadband in America. "We need to aim higher," he said during a discussion of broadband speeds, "Only significant investment in broadband buildout will enable the country to catch up to the rest of the world regarding speed and accessibility." Read More »
Employment growth correlates with broadband availability according to a report released by the Public Policy Institute of California. Especially in sparsely populated areas, and in areas with tech-heavy industries, adoption and deployment of broadband increases the number of jobs available. Read More »
France announced public investments to promote the deployment and adoption of fiber networks. As in the United States, major French cities such as Paris are quickly becoming connected to high-speed networks. The challenge is extending that coverage to the more rural provinces that make up the majority of the country. Read More »
On January 15, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announced the availability of $4.8 billion of funding for grants and loans to expand broadband access and adoption in America. This is the second round of funding that was allotted as part of the 2009 economic stimulus bill. Read More »
The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced more grant awards to fund broadband mapping and planning in ten states. The recipients were designated entities in Connecticut, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Read More »
The Communications Workers of America expressed support for efforts by the Federal Communications Commission to protect an open Internet that are consistent with the need to promote investment in the nation's high-speed networks and create jobs. In comments filed with the Commission, CWA pointed out that it was critical that open Internet rules "do not have the unintended consequence of dampening the private investment needed to build the next-generation broadband networks that will bring our nation's broadband capability up to global standards and create and maintain good jobs." Read More »
