The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation estimates that an investment of $10 billion could run fiber to nearly every community across the country. The ambitious expansion of broadband infrastructure to over 123,000 "anchor institutions" - public schools, hospitals, community colleges, libraries - would also make it easier to provide Internet access to nearby homes and businesses:. Read More »
The Communications Workers of America (CWA) called on the Federal Communications Commission to ensure that its upcoming rulemaking on policies to preserve a free and open Internet put investment and job creation front and center. CWA and Speed Matters have long contended that the FCC is the appropriate place to address this issue. The process should lead to "reasoned discussion among all stakeholders about the technical requirements of network management and the economics of broadband build-out to ensure continued private sector investment in advanced high-speed Internet networks while protecting an open Internet," CWA President Larry Cohen said in a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. Read More »
With the help of high-resolution video and fast broadband connections, advances in telemedicine are coming rapidly. The use of broadband technology in health care is becoming more widespread everyday. Read More »
The Finnish government passed legislation that guarantees every person in the country will have the right to broadband access, starting in July 2010. Read More »
Earlier this month, Free Press and five other organizations filed a legal brief in support of an FCC ruling against Comcast's illegal throttling of online content. 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 »
Students attending the Saint John Baptist Church After-School program were in for quite a surprise recently when twenty new computers were delivered to the church. Donated by Speed Matters partner Connected Tennessee, the computers transformed the church into a hub of connectivity in a Western Tennessee community that previously had limited access to broadband. Read More »
Verizon's plan to sell off $8.6 billion worth of broadband assets to Frontier Communications has no shortage of opposition. The proposed merger spans across 14 states and is subject to approval by the FCC and 10 state utility commissions. Read More »
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced on October 5th that it has awarded four state grants in California, Indiana, North Carolina, and Vermont for broadband mapping. Read More »
Rural businesses need broadband access to compete - no matter what they're selling. In rural Minnesota, the tourism and real estate industries are finding themselves at a disadvantage in an increasingly web-based marketplace. Read More »
