A New Universal Service Fund

April 28th, 2010

The Universal Service Fund was created as a mandate of the Telecommunications Act of 1996  to increase availability of telecommunications services to consumers throughout the Nation.  Over a decade later,  revising the now outdated Universal Service Fund (USF) is one of the challenges that the FCC faces in implementing the National Broadband Plan released in March. 

According to an article posted on TMC Net last week, the new fund, which the FCC refers to as the Connect America Fund (CAF), acknowledges that  it no longer makes sense to maintain a fund used solely to subsidize landline technology, but instead should update the fund to reflect the constantly evolving and new technologies of today.  FCC Chairman Genachowski referred to the USF as “a multibillion dollar annual fund that continues to support yesterday’s communications infrastructure.”

While both the USF and the CAF concentrate funding on underserved and unserved areas, the CAF focuses on broadband communications.  Genachowski describes the USF makeover in his blog as “initiating a once-in-a-generation transformation, in order to connect all Americans to broadband, including Americans who live and work in rural areas.”  The FCC’s hope for a result of the transformation?  A step towards connecting everyone with the communications infrastructure of tomorrow.

HB 168 Passes in the Georgia General Assembly

April 19th, 2010

In 1995, under the leadership of Governor Sonny Perdue, telecommunications embarked on a journey for legislation reform to reflect the modern day technologies and advances in telecom. In the past decade, Georgia has taken important steps towards being a leader in broadband and telecommunications reform. Growth in broadband deployment has attracted private sector investment and helped the Georgia marketplace remain competitive.

This week, the Georgia State House and Senate members voted in strong support for HB 168, which will further update and modernize telecom laws in Georgia, providing countless benefits for consumers, businesses, and the economy.

CDF applauds the Georgia State Legislature, for voting in the best interests of Georgia consumers and businesses. To read our press statement on the passage of HB 168, please click here.

Broadband = an Essential Utility

April 9th, 2010

Jobs in every business industry today are reaping the many benefits of broadband.  Broadband and high-speed Internet access has created robust communications capabilities and a more efficient workforce.  The benefits are so advantageous, that one opinion piece posted in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution described broadband Internet, as once considered to be “a luxury,” but now as “an essential utility.”  The Brookings Institute takes it a step further, referring to broadband as the “essential infrastructure for our global information economy.” 

But with only 65% of U.S. households hooked up with broadband, according to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, there still remains a chunk of the population who remains disconnected from the broadband promised land.  The future, however, looks bright for broadband.  The author of the piece discusses the FCC’s National Broadband Plan and several local Georgia movements are working towards increased broadband adoption and utilization such as the Georgia Tech Broadband Institute and TechSmart.  Every effort counts.  In looking at the numbers, increased broadband access does more than connect individuals and increased business productivity, it creates jobs and cut costs. 

Continuing to update the policies that focus on broadband growth in Georgia will ensure that consumers can benefit from broadband.  The piece observes that, “a mere 1 percent increase in broadband penetration can create 300,000 new U.S. jobs,” and that is essential.  

To read the full piece, please click here.

Broadband Plan Addresses Need for more Spectrum

April 7th, 2010

As both policy makers and the public continue to digest the 376 pages that make up the FCC’s National Broadband Plan released March 16th, a strong focus remains on the importance of accommodating the growing use of broadband.  As the number of heavily data-dependent smartphone owners grows, mobile broadband and its reliance on increased spectrum is a critical issue that the FCC plan attempts to address.    

In a column posted on ZDNet, entitled, “CTIA: More Spectrum, and Other Ways to Break the Wireless Data, the author contends that the ever-increasing amount of mobile-broadband-using devices such as Kindles, smartphones, and netbooks require more spectrum to be available for mobile broadband.  Increasing spectrum, however, the author notes, will be a challenge for the FCC and the National Broadband Plan, which proposes to free up hundreds more megahertz over the next several years.  

In order for more individuals to engage in the mobile broadband realm, the author notes, more spectrum must be available to accommodate increased data flow.  To read the complete article, please click here.

CDF Hosts Breakfast on Broadband in Cherokee County, Georgia

April 2nd, 2010

This week, CDF held it’s most recent meeting in a continuing series of leadership breakfasts around Georgia in Cherokee County. 

CDF Chairman John Watson led a group of technology experts and telecommunications representatives in a conversation about the issues facing expanding broadband in Georgia.  Watson was joined by former Public Service Commissioner and telecommunications expert, David Burgess and Senior Advisor Chuck Clay.

Whether debating minimum bandwidth levels or the current statewide broadband mapping effort, the group agreed broadband was a key to economic development for Cherokee County and Northwest Georgia.

Optimism about the Nation’s First Broadband Plan

March 30th, 2010

An article posted on ExecutiveGov.com discusses FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s positive outlook on the implementation of the Broadband Plan released March 16th. At a hearing on March 25, Chairman Genachowski testified about the plan in front of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet. 

“Broadband is the indispensable infrastructure of the digital age,” he compares, “it is the 21st Century equivalent of what canals, railroads, highways, the telephone, and electricity were for previous generations.”

Imagining life without broadband might be as difficult to some as thinking about life without electricity, but there still persists a significant amount of Americans who do not adopt because they do not have access or the education to realize the relevance.  The FCC’s plan builds a roadmap not only to ensure that everyone has access but that everybody has access to the education needed to optimize broadband use.  While broadband may not seem as tangible as a telephone, according to a study released in March from the University of Washington and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, millions of people have come to rely on the computer for employment, health, and education to name a few. 

The benefits of broadband, like the benefits of electricity, seem endless.

The FCC Releases the National Broadband Plan

March 22nd, 2010

Last week, the Federal Communications Commission came out with its long-awaited National Broadband Plan.  The plan was the result of a mandate from Congress to the FCC to provide a road-map for connecting every American online via broadband.  The plan totals more than 300 pages, but the FCC offers a great summary of the plan here.

It is heartening that the government recognizes broadband and its benefits to be such an essential component of life that it is embarking on the goal of connecting all Americans.  Of the four broad objectives the plan lays out, it is impressive to see the goal of “updating policies, setting standards and aligning incentives to maximize use for national priorities”.  What that translates into is that the FCC recognizes the benefits to education, economic growth, health care and other daily tasks that broadband can provide, and is focused on making sure those benefits are achievable for all Americans.  Importantly, related to this goal, the plan includes “recommendations designed to unleash increased use, private sector investment and innovation in these areas”.  It is encouraging to see that the government also recognizes the vital role of private investment and policies necessary to encourage further build-out of broadband and digital technologies.

You can view the plan in full here.  Or to read the FCC’s announcement of the plan, please click here.

CDF hosts breakfast on broadband in Gwinnett County, Georgia

March 12th, 2010

Last Thursday, CDF hosted a breakfast for a group of business and technology experts in Gwinnett County. CDF Chair John Watson and Senior Advisor Chuck Clay led a roundtable discussion on how Gwinnett County can continue to engage in the future of broadband technology in Georgia.

Gwinnett has been a leading community in Georgia in attracting investment and technology companies. There was a robust conversation about how the growth of broadband deployment supports many industries in Georgia. Education programs, health care systems, and the state’s largest economic engine, agriculture, all depend on new technologies and innovation in order to operate and develop more effectively. Overall, there was widespread agreement that broadband access is increasingly critical in our lives and its infrastructure is becoming as important to economic development as transportation and public works.

The Internet: Who Can Live without it?

February 25th, 2010

In today’s world, billions of people benefit from utilizing the internet on a daily basis.  It has become an integral part of their careers and means of communication.  In the United States, according to Nielson Market Research Online, as of August 2009, roughly 74% of the country uses the internet.  There remains a quarter of the population who are not using the internet.

An article published this week by LocalTechWire drew attention to some of these statistics.  In a study conducted by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the results indicated that the internet home audience of all southern states falls under 60%. 

Larry Strickling, head of the NTIA, believes that we’ve reached “a point where high-speed access to the Internet is critical to the ability of people to be successful in today’s economy and society at large.” 

Broadband deployment and adoption is one of the critical issues that the much-anticipated national broadband plan is aiming to undertake.   It will be interesting to see what the recommendations are when the FCC releases the plan on March 17, 2010.

Georgia Senate Takes First Step Towards Updating Telecom Laws

February 10th, 2010

House Bill 168 passed yesterday in the Senate with a notable majority of 46-4.  The bill is geared towards modernizing Georgia telecom laws to better reflect the constantly changing technology advancements and to level the playing field amongst providers to ensure fair play.

The CDF survey conducted with Insider Advantage indicated public support of telecom modernization and in passing the bill, the legislators echoed constituent sentiments.

CDF supports the passage of this legislation and the opportunities for investment and job creation in Georgia that it prompts.