President Nominates New FCC Commissioner

April 30th, 2009

On Wednesday, the President announced he intends to nominate Mignon Clyburn to act as a Federal Communication Commissioner.  Mignon Clyburn is the daughter of House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) and has been serving as a member of the South Carolina Public Service Commission. 

The FCC board is made up of five members, which currently has 3 open seats.  Clyburn is now the chair of the Washington Action Committee of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners.  For more information about the nomination, check out this MultiChannel news article.

Once all nominations are finalized, the commission will be tackling many important issues including working out the details of a national broadband plan that will help to bring high speed internet access to all Americans.

First Chief Technology Officer of the U.S. Announced

April 20th, 2009

This Saturday, during his weekly radio and internet address, President Obama named Aneesh Chopra as the U.S.’s first chief technology officer. Chopra is currently Virginia’s secretary of technology. His bio can be found here.

According to this MultiChannel article , in his new role Chopra will streamline government technology functions as well as promote technological innovation. This includes working on a key White House issue, ensuring nationwide access to broadband.

As an organization that promotes access to and adoption of broadband, Citizens for a Digital Future is excited to see this new position that will be focused on using new technologies to improve our country.  From education, to healthcare, to the environment, we have experienced the transformative power of broadband, but the full extent of its benefits is yet to be realized.