states' role in expanding broadband - pew center - june 2010

8/9/2019 States' Role in Expanding Broadband - Pew Center - June 2010

1/42June 2010

Bringing AmericAUP TO SPeeD

InTeRACTIVe
http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/broadband/www.pewcenteronthestates.org


2/42i Pw Ctr th Statsi

Th Pw Ctr th Stats is a divisi Th Pw Charitabl Trsts that idtis ad advacs

ctiv sltis t critical isss acig stats. Pw is a prt rgaizati that applis a rigrs,

aalytical apprach t iprv pblic plicy, ir th pblic ad stilat civic li.

PEW CENTER ON THE STATES

Ssa K. urah, aagig dirctr

PRoJeCT TeAm

Writers

mlissa mayard, ta ladr

A Clk

Dail C. Vck

Will Wils

This rprt bitd r th isights ad xprtis tw xtral rviwrs: Jd Klk, assciat

dirctr rsarch at th Pblic Plicy Istitt Caliria ad athr a PPIC rprt bradbad

rlasd i Jaary 2010, ad L Raii, dirctr th Pw Itrt & Arica Li Prjct at th

Pw Rsarch Ctr. Whil ths xprts hav scrd th rprt r accracy, ithr thy r thir

rgaizatis cssarily drs its idigs r cclsis.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

W thak r Pw cllagsnacy Agsti, Ja Brakll, Kil Hh ad Barbara Rswiczr

hlpig act chck th rprt, ad Ja Brakll, nicl Drt, Sarah Hlt, Adrw mcDald adGay Willias r assistig with cicatis ad dissiati. W als thak michll Harris ad

Kathy Litzbrg r thir ditrial wrk. Fially, w thak th ay dral, stat ad lcal fcials ad

thr xprts i th ld wh wr s grs with thir ti, kwldg ad xprtis.

Fr additial irati Pw ad th Ctr th Stats, plas visit www.pewcenteronthestates.org .

This rprt is itdd r dcatial ad iratial prpss. Rrcs t spcic plicy

akrs r cpais hav b icldd slly t advac ths prpss ad d t cstitt a

drst, spsrship r rcdati by th Pw Ctr th Stats.

2010 Th Pw Charitabl Trsts. All Rights Rsrvd.

901 e Strt nW, 10th Flr 2005 markt Strt, Sit 1700

Washigt, DC 20004 Philadlphia, PA 19103

Editors

Dia Fachr

Lri Grag

michl mariai Vagh

Publications and Web

Day Dghrty

Jlia Hppck

Jir Pltak

eva Ptlr

Carla uria
http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/broadband/www.pewcenteronthestates.orghttp://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/broadband/www.pewcenteronthestates.orghttp://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/


3/42

June 2010

Dear Reader:

Broadband has earned the term game changer, and it is easy to see why. Once considered a

convenience, access to broadband Internet service has crossed the threshold to necessity. As

increasing numbers o business, government and personal interactions move online, Americans

who lack reliable, aordable, high-speed Internet connections may be let behind.

States recognize the potential o broadband to drive their economies and to help their residents and

businesses compete in an increasingly global marketplace. Some states have been working or years

to expand the publics access to and adoption o broadband, and many more expect the technology

to play an important role in delivering a range o servicesrom education and health care to

public saety and air and accurate electionsmore efciently and eectively.

Universal, high-speed broadband access is a national goal, but to achieve it, states will need to ramp

up their eorts. To propel them orward, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is providing

states and their partners with $7.2 billion in stimulus unds. And a new National Broadband Plan,

released in March 2010 by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has set ambitious

goals that rely heavily on states, in partnership with ederal and local governments, private-sector

providers and nonproft organizations.

This report, Bringing America Up to Speed: States Role in Expanding Broadband, looks at the

national push to ensure high-quality, high-speed broadband access or all Americans. The report

highlights innovative state programs that served as models or the FCCs planand examines the

myriad challenges all states will ace i they are to play a key role in expanding this technology inunprecedented ways.

Bringing America Up to Speed builds on the Pew Center on the States growing portolio o research

analyzing states fscal health and economic competitiveness. Our goal is to help policy leaders

chart a path toward recovery today and sustainability tomorrow. We hope this report will inorm

and guide states as they seek to capitalize on broadbands promise.

Sincerely,

Susan K. Urahn

Managing Director, Pew Center on the States
http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/broadband/www.pewcenteronthestates.orghttp://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/broadband/www.pewcenteronthestates.orghttp://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/broadband/www.pewcenteronthestates.orghttp://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/broadband/www.pewcenteronthestates.orghttp://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/broadband/www.pewcenteronthestates.orghttp://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/broadband/www.pewcenteronthestates.orghttp://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/broadband/www.pewcenteronthestates.org


4/42Brigig Arica up t Spd: Stats Rl i expadig Bradbad

ovrviw: Stats Rl i Drivig Aricas

Bradbad Ftr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

exhibit 2. Bradbad i Arica. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7natial Prpss:

Why Bradbad mattrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Disparity i Bradbad Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

exhibit 3. Itrt us i nrth Carlia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Bradbad Adpti:

Brigig Arica oli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

C c l s i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3

edts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Ctts

InTeRACTIVe

Your computer may ask you to trust this PDF In order to use all its

features. You can enable the interactive elements by clicking here and

then selecting play multimedia when prompted.



I th digitally driv scity th twty-irst

ctry, stats rcgiz that bradbad is a

pwrl tchlgy that cld hlp th cpt

r ctivly i a glbal arktplac. Icrasigly,

thy ar lkig t bradbad as a pttial vhicl

r dlivrig qality dcati, pblic saty, halth

car ad gvrt srvics ad r prtig

cic grwth by givig bsisss th tls thy

d t thriv.

I dt thik y ca vrstat th ipact that

[bradbad dplyt] is gig t hav r

cic dvlpt a wid varity lvls,

said Klly Gs, scrtary crc i Wst

Virgiia. Bcas th tchlgy vtally will b

biqits, cic grwth i rral aras witht

bradbad will b alst ipssibl, Gs said.1

Yt Arica lags bhid ch th rst th

wrld i adpti high-spd bradbad.

Accrdig t th orgaisati r ecic C-

oprati ad Dvlpt (oeCD), th uitd

Stats slippd r th tp ctry i th wrld r

bradbad accss i 2000 t 15th last yar.2

Tday, bradbad is availabl t abt 95 prct

Aricas. Bt that igr asks wid ggraphic,

cic ad dgraphic disparitis, ad ay

xprts say bth th qality ad spd srvic i

th uitd Stats d t b iprvd t kp pac

with thr atis. Ad ly 65 prct Aricas

actally hav bradbad at h. Th raidr

apprxiatly 100 illi Aricassay thy

cat ard it, d t kw hw t s it r bliv

it is irrlvat t thir livs, ag thr actrs.3

Th availability bradbad is a spciic

challg r abt 14 illi idividals i this

ctry: Th irastrctr is t i plac r th

t sbscrib t bradbad i th prdiatly

rral aras whr thy liv. Th dirct cst clsig

this gap is $23.5 billi, accrdig t th Fdral

Cicatis Cissi (FCC).4 Bt Arica

will pay a ch highr pric i it ds t sr

ivrsal accss t high-spd bradbad, accrdig

t a march 2010 stdy by th Digital Ipact Grp, a

Philadlphia-basd prit rgaizati ddicatdt icrasig bradbad adpti, ad ecslt

Crprati, a Philadlphia-basd cic

csltig ir. Th stdy stiats th ttal aal

cst digital xclsi at r tha $55 billi pr

yar i lst cic activity, ad it stiats gais

that wld b ad i aras sch as -gvrt,

rgy, halth car ad trasprtati i bradbad

wr biqits. Icrasig th s bradbad

i halth car wld b wrth $15 billi al, th

grps d.5

Whil bradbad is trasrig ay aspcts

Aricas livsr hw citizs apply r

jbs t hw thy rgistr t vtths chags

ar rlativly w, s t ch is kw abt

thir ltiat ipact. Fr xapl, as 2005,

77 prct Frt 500 cpais pstd jb

pigs ad accptd applicatis ly li,

bt th vrall rlatiship btw bradbad

accss ad plyt is clar.6 Ad qstis

rai abt what th apprpriat rls ar r

gvrticldig statsi xpadig ad

prtig bradbad.

Still, a grwig br stats ar dvtig r

ti, attti ad, i s cass, y t captr

what thy viw as a pwrl vhicl r grwth. Wst

Virgiia is ay tryig t catch p.

ovrviw: Stats Rl i DrivigAricas Bradbad Ftr


6/422 Pw Ctr th Stats2

Histrically dpdt aactrig,

Wst Virgiia has lg b ag th last-

cctd stats i trs bradbad accss,

spd srvic rd ad th rat at which

rsidts hav adptd it.7 Stat ladrs bliv

that bradbad has th pttial t slv ay

Wst Virgiias prbls by ablig rsidts

t liv ad wrk whr thy wat witht ar

big lt bhid by th rst th wrld. Bt t

dat, th stats tpgraphic, dgraphic ad

cic challgs hav ad it ipractical

r privat prvidrs t r srvics t ay

aras at ardabl rats, which i tr has liitd

accss ag rsidts ad bsisss t th

ggraphically bdlss cy gds adsrvics blssig li.

Wst Virgiia xpliis th challgs that stats

with larg rral pplatis ac i srig that

thir rsidts hav ardabl accss t high-spd,

rliabl bradbad. Apprxiatly 80 prct

Wst Virgiias rsidts liv i aras that ar

classiid as rral by th uitd Stats Dpartt

Agricltr.

All that, hwvr, ay b chagig. Th Arica

Rcvry ad Rivstt Act 2009 is ppig

$7.2 billi i stils y it rts t

achiv ivrsal bradbad ad tap it its

pttial applicatis. Th ds ar lwig t

bradbad prvidrs, stat ad lcal agcis,

prit rgaizatis ad varis pblic-privat

partrships acrss th 50 stats t hlp xpad

bradbad accss thrgh th physical bild-t

irastrctr ad t spprt prgras that sprr csrs t adpt it. Th y als is

bstig th capacity stats t cllct bttr data

ad ap xistig bradbad accss ad spds

withi thir brdrs.

Th stils prgra als sprrd th crati

a natial Bradbad Pla, dvlpd by th

FCC, which sts t gals r ivrsally accssibl,

ardabl bradbad ad stratgis r achivig

th. Rlasd i march 2010, th pla aks

hdrds rcdatis t Cgrss, th

xctiv brach, dral rglatrs ad stat ad

lcal gvrts.

I Wst Virgiia, a $126 illi stils award t

th gvrrs ic t dply bradbad r

xtsivly acrss th stat ay hlp ak th

visi r widsprad bradbad availability a

rality i a shrtr tira tha ay wld

hav dard t hp. What it ds r Wst

Virgiia is it givs s a chac t trly b abl t

cicat with vry ara r stat ad with

th rst th wrld, said Gvrr J machi,

wh i 2007 prpsd a gal havig high-spd

Itrt i vry cty. That was a tall rdr, bt I

kw that w dd t hav that srt visi r

s t v start dw th path.8

Stats ot i Frt

Stat ad lcal gvrts icrasigly ar

lkig t bradbad as a way t gai a cptitiv

advatag i a tgh cy ad as a as

t dlivr srvics r icitly ad ctivly

as bdgts tight. Thir rts als ar critical

t achivig th abitis gals th natial

Bradbad Pla.

Th pla calls r swpig plicy rrs; icrasd

dig; acti by dral, stat, lcal ad tribal

gvrts; ad partrships with privat-sctr

prvidrs. Ag thr gals, it sks t icras

availability, adpti ad th s bradbad r

atial prpsssch as cic dvlpt,

halth car, dcati, pblic saty ad gvrt

trasparcyall which will rqir stats t play a

sigiicat rl (s sidbar, Th natial Bradbad

Pla: Lg-Tr Gals). Th pla stats9:

[B]roadband in America is not all it needs to be...

Broadband-enabled health information technology (IT)

can improve care and lower costs by hundreds of billions

S T AT e S R o L e
http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/



S T AT e S R o L e

of dollars in the coming decades, yet the United States is

behind many advanced countries in the adoption of such

technology. Broadband can provide teachers with tools

that allow students to learn the same course material

in half the time, but there is a dearth of easily accessible

digital educational content required for such opportunities.

A broadband-enabled Smart Grid could increase energy

independence and efficiency, but much of the data required

to capture these benefits are inaccessible to consumers,

businesses and entrepreneurs. And nearly a decade after

9/11, our first responders still lack a nationwide public safety

mobile broadband communications network, even though

such a network could improve emergency response and

homeland security.

may stat ladrs agr. Bradbad is as iprtat

t cic dvlpt tday as lctricity was at

th tr th twtith ctryvital t r qality

li ad sstial r bsiss, gvrt ad r

citis, said mista Gvrr Ti Pawlty i

a 2006 statt.10

I Arica wats t cpt i a icrasigly glbal

cy, it will d t lly lvrag bradbads

pttial. W ca iagi that th tr thItrt i larg part is gig t b vid, ad

particlarly 3-D vid, said Richard Whitt, Washigt,

D.C., tlc ad dia csl r Ggl. Its gig

t b vry itractiv ad ivlv ay disis

dirt kids platrs. Th thigs w thik

as scrs ay lgr b th cas; it ay b

that yr tir hs sstially bcs Itrt-

abld.12 Thrgh its Fibr r Citis iitiativ,

Ggl challgd gvrts, bsisss ad

idividals i arly 2010 t prps ivativ ss

r its xprital, ltra-high-spd twrk that is

xpctd t b r tha 100 tis astr tha typical

Itrt spds. Th cpay is plaig t bild

ad tst th srvic with as ay as 500,000 srs i

slctd citis.13

Svral ajr dvlptsth stils packag,

th natial Bradbad Pla ad th Ggl gigabit

iitiativ, ag thrsar cvrgig t crat

a virt that cld vlv i ay psitiv

ways, said Ji Ballr, a Washigt, D.C.-basd

bradbad xprt ad lawyr whs ir, th Ballr

ad Hrbst Law Grp, adviss svral stat ad lcal

gvrts bradbad ad is wrkig with

Ggl its iitiativ. W ar sig sigiicat

prgrss at all lvls gvrt. may stat ad

lcal gvrts hav ad a lt prgrss ith last tw yars, ad wr likly t s a lt r

prgrss i th xt tw yars.14

The NaTioNal BroadBaNd PlaN: loNg-Term goals

The National Broadband Plan sets forth the following six long-term goals 11:

1. At least 100 million U.S. homes should have affordable access to actual download speeds of at least 100 megabits

per second and actual upload speeds of at least 50 megabits per second.

2. The United States should lead the world in mobile innovation, with the fastest and most extensive wireless

networks of any nation.

3. Every American should have affordable access to robust broadband service and the means and skills to subscribe

if they so choose.

4. Every American community should have affordable access to at least one gigabit per second broadband service

to anchor institutions such as schools, hospitals and government buildings.

5. To ensure the safety of the American people, every first responder should have access to a nationwide, wireless,

interoperable broadband public safety network.

6. To ensure that America leads in the clean energy economy, every American should be able to use broadband to

track and manage their real-time energy consumption.



S T AT e S R o L e

Bradbad prgras i a hadl ivativ

stats wr dls r th dral gvrt.

Caliria, r xapl, was a arly ladr ag

stats i icrasig bradbad adpti ad s,

particlarly i trs appig whr bradbad

was availabl statwid ad plaig r xpasi.

I act, Blair Lvi, xctiv dirctr th oibs

Bradbad Iitiativ, which vrsaw dvlpt

th atial pla, ackwldgd that th

FCC clld idas r th wrk Calirias

Bradbad Task Frc, whs ial rprt, Th

Stat Cctivity, rlasd i 2008, icldd

cprhsiv rcdatis basd ipt

r a varity pblic ad privat-sctr partrs.20Th task rc als dvlpd a sphisticatd ap

rsidts ad thir bradbad accss.

Ths rts sic hav abld th stat t bttr

targt rsrcs t drsrvd pplatis. Th

stat tility cissi bilt th task rcs

wrk wh it cratd th Caliria Advacd

Srvics Fd, which prts bradbad i

srvd ad drsrvd aras thrgh iacial

awards t prvidrs.21 W wr abl t cs

th y ths particlar aras that wr

idtiid as drsrvd, said Rachll Chg,

spcial csl advacd irati ad

cicatis tchlgis r Calirias oic

th Stat Chi Irati oicr ad a rr

Caliria pblic tility cissir.22

mistas lti-prgd apprach t

bradbad adpti ad xpasi als dats

back a w yars. I 2007, th stat cratd th

mista ultra High-Spd Bradbad Task

Frc, rprstig bth rba ad rral aras.

Th grps ial rprt, rlasd i nvbr

2009, rcdd bradbad accss r all

th stats hs ad bsisss by 2015,

tax ictivs r idividals, bsisss ad

rgaizatis t icras digital litracy, ad

The Need for sPeed

The federal agencies that set the rules for qualifying

for broadband stimulus money confronted a

daunting question: How fast, exactly, should anInternet connection be to qualify as broadband?

They settled on a relatively low threshold of 768

kilobits per second for downloads and 200 kilobits

per second for uploads. This is about the speed

you would get from the cheapest plan from most

providers of high-speed hookups that use existing

phone lines, as opposed to cable.15 The low bar

presumably focuses the stimulus efforts on areas

with almost no service at all. But broadband

experts argue that the country soon must push

for even faster speeds across the board for the

United States to remain competitive with other

industrialized countries.

Were flat-out not competitive, said Jane Smith

Patterson, executive director of North Carolinas

e-NC Authority, an agency that promotes broadband

in the Tar Heel State. Faster broadband is very

important to this country. This is the transport of

knowledge and opportunity.16

Advocates are especially concerned that the United

States is falling behind other developed countries in

rolling out ultrafast Internet connections. They point

out that Japan offers connections of one gigabit per

second, which is fast enough to download a full-

length movie in just 12 seconds. Google is launching

an effort to bring similar speeds100 times faster

than typical connections in the United Statesto as

many as 500,000 Americans.17

Googles initiative may be innovative, but it will do

little in the near term to change the fact that the

United States is falling behind. In fact, the United

States ranked 24th among developed countries in an

OECD survey of 2009 advertised broadband speeds.

The average U.S. speed of 14 megabits per second

is roughly half the typical speed in Hungary and the

Netherlands and well behind Japan, Portugal, France

and South Korea. According to the OECD, Japanand Portugal boasted average advertised download

speeds of more than 100 megabits per second.18 A

more comprehensive assessment by the FCC of just

the United States showed that only 11.4 percent of

all connections in the country were 10 megabits per

second or faster. Across the states, broadband speeds

vary considerably. As the availability gap narrows,

improving the speed of the service will become

increasingly more important (see Exhibit 1).19



S T AT e S R o L e

iacial assistac t hlp lw-ic ppl

pay r srvics.23 Th lgislatr vd qickly t

accpt s th rcdatis, ad i April

2010, Gvrr Pawlty sigd it law a bill that

sts stat bradbad gals r dplyt adspd, icldig biqits accss by 2015.24

Additially, mista is ag a br

stats that r prvidrs r lxibl altrativ

rglati arragts i xchag r thir

citts t xpad bradbad dplyt.25

Als calld ictiv rglatis, ths arragts

typically allw rglatd prvidrs t ar

largr prits; thy als rlax gvrt rviw

prpsd rat icrass, i prvidrs tprrac targts.

nrth Carlia, awhil, has wrkd r alst

a dcad t brig r ppl li. I 2000,

it cratd -nC Athrity, th atis irst stat

bradbad agcy. Th grp has sd partrships

with rral ad rba citis ad prvidrs t

xpad bradbad s. Th stat has cpltd

ths rts with tchical dcati ad traiig

r lcal bsisss. Btw 2001 ad 2007, its-nC Bsiss ad Tchlgy Tlctrs prvidd

r Itrt accss t 158,000 rsidts ad

hlpd crat arly 1,500 jbs i s th st

cically distrssd, rral aras th stat.26

Th ctrs sk t icras cic dvlpt

thrgh tchlgyassistig bth idividals

ad bsisss by prvidig srvics sch as -

- cslig, siars ad traiig, tchical

spprt, ic spac ad rsrcs r sall, start-p

cpais, ad pblic accss t th Itrt.27

Stats hav lg histrically viwd crrctly that

bradbad is t jst a ablr cic

dvlpt bt rally has th pttial t b

trasrativ r citis, whthr it is

dcati, halth car r thr ways that th

Itrt is sd, said eg Hag, wh srvd

as dirctr gvrt pratis r th FCCs

Stats vary i th prctag bradbad cctisat varis spds. Th scd cl raks th stats hw cls thy ar t th Arica Rcvry adRivstt Acts gal (th stils stadard) prvidig cctis at last 768 kilbits pr scd.

Data as Dcbr 31, 2008; *Data availabl.

SouRCe: Fdral Cicatis Cissi.

Hawaii 92.5 88.3 * *

oklaha 90.2 84.8 28.0 3.0

nvada 88.8 83.0 30.4 6.6

mai 86.0 82.9 57.6 4.0

Flrida 86.0 82.2 40.3 8.6

Lisiaa 85.3 81.7 * *

Wiscsi 87.8 81.2 27.8 6.4

Rhd Islad 85.5 80.9 * *

Cctict 87.9 80.8 37.5 0.0Illiis 87.9 79.6 31.9 7.5

org 87.3 79.4 39.2 5.3

nw Yrk 83.1 79.1 56.4 55.6

michiga 85.6 78.8 32.6 *

utah 88.6 78.5 33.2 2.9

Washigt 85.7 78.5 40.6 4.8

Caliria 86.2 78.3 19.7 3.9

Txas 86.3 78.1 24.3 5.2

Clrad 87.8 77.5 39.0 1.5

missri 85.4 77.4 16.8 5.2

mista 85.9 77.3 31.1 3.9

Kasas 83.3 77.0 33.7 3.8

Grgia 81.8 76.7 23.7 1.8

Ktcky 88.5 76.7 31.2 26.2

Arkasas 82.7 76.6 * *

nrth Carlia 81.0 76.6 38.0 4.1

massachstts 81.5 76.4 46.9 11.0

Ariza 85.3 76.3 37.6 13.5

Idiaa 84.3 76.2 32.6 13.9

mississippi 85.4 76.2 * *

Alabaa 82.3 76.1 17.9 4.3

Sth Carlia 80.2 75.9 33.1 3.5

Wst Virgiia 83.5 75.8 * *

nw Hapshir 81.1 75.7 54.6 3.7

Dlawar 82.5 75.6 * *

nw Jrsy 80.9 75.6 53.4 35.1

nrth Dakta 85.0 75.3 * *

Iwa 87.0 74.6 * *

ohi 80.7 74.0 37.2 4.5

Psylvaia 79.9 73.5 37.5 8.9

Tss 81.2 73.5 29 2.9

Sth Dakta 81.0 72.6 * *

Idah 81.6 72.4 * *

marylad 78.3 72.1 40.2 11.7

nbraska 81.5 71.1 * *

nw mxic 81.1 70.3 * *

Virgiia 78.8 69.5 38.0 21.5

Vrt 74.0 68.9 * *

Wyig 82.9 68.2 * *

Alaska 76.0 58.9 * *

mtaa 72.9 57.9 * *

200 kbps + 768 kbps + 6 mbps + 10 mbps +

Basicconnection

Stimulusstandard

High-speedconnection

Exhibit 1

hoW fasT is YoUr sTaTes iNTerNeT?



S T AT e S R o L e

natial Bradbad Task Frc br vig

t th Whit Hs t b a spcial advisr t

th chi tchlgy icr i march 2010.28

Bt, by s asrs, ay stats lack

capacity t dvlp ad iplt bradbad

plicis ad appig. oly a stiatd 15

stats hav bradbad agcis r athritis,

accrdig t nrth Carlias Pattrs.29 (may,

lik -nC Athrity, ar strctrd as qasi-stat

athritis, which givs th gratr latitd

t partr with th privat sctr appig

ad data cllcti ad grat applicatis.)

Ad br th stils, ly abt a dz

stats had cratd bradbad aps that

allwd th t kw whr th srvic was

availabl withi thir brdrs. Jst a hadl

had dratd dtaild plas r xpadig

accss r had lachd rts t xplrbradbad ad its applicatis.30 I y dt

hav a grp that is lkig at [bradbad]

ad kpig thir y thir targt, yr stat

will ls t i trs its ability t hav what

I csidr th tchlgy kwldg ad

irati ad light, sggstd Pattrs. It

is dspratly iprtat that stats hav this

capacity ad capability.31

I Ariza, Gal updik, tlcicatis

dvlpt aagr at th stats Gvrt

Irati Tchlgy Agcy, td that

thr ar hdrds plys withi Ariza

stat gvrt dvlpig ad xctigplicy i aras sch as trasprtati ad

rgybt ly a w wrkig bradbad

plicy. Giv th iprtac bradbad t

stats cic cptitivss, updik said,

stats shld priritiz dvlpig r itral

capacity ad xprtis.32

nw mxic, awhil, is rlyig sigiicatly

tsid csltats ad titis sch as

th 1st mil Istitt, a prit rgaizaticsd rral tlcicatis, cic

dvlpt ad bradbad csltig, t hlp

dvlp ad xct its bradbad stratgy.

Richard Lwbrg, prsidt 1st mil

Istitt, is ccrd abt th lack itral

capacity i nw mxics stat gvrt. I

ly prs, h said. What is th stat gig

t d i I hit by a bs?33

oicials als rcgiz that thy d tcrdiat rts r ctivly ad shar

r irati acrss stat lis. Accrdig

t Jh Cly, xctiv dirctr Clrads

Statwid Itrt Prtal Athrity, crdiati

acrss stats has b wak. Stats ar

dplicatig rts bcas w dt kw what

thr stats ar dig, Cly said. Part that

is w dt, as stats, td t lk tsid r

w brdrs, ad w thik thy cat hav a

prgra that wld wrk r Clrad i nrth

Carlia. Btthat i act is w th cas.34

A Isi Spprt

Th Arica Rcvry ad Rivstt Act

2009ad its $7.2 billi r bradbad

xpasiprstd a iq pprtity

r stats t ak a sbstatial lap by

States have long historically

viewed correctly that broadbandis not just an enabler o

economic development but

really has the potential to be

transormative or communities.

Eugene Huang, special advisor to

the chie technology oicer at the White

House



S T AT e S R o L e

xpadig availability, accss ad th s th

tchlgy t rthr dcati, halth car

dlivry ad thr critical srvics. This dral

y ay jpstart a br bradbad

appig, plaig ad xpasi iitiativs withsigiicat pttial r stats as thy grappl

with th rl that bradbad will play i thir

cis, accrdig t svral xprts.35

Thrgh th Bradbad Tchlgy opprtitis

Prgra (BToP), th u.S. Dpartt Crcs

natial Tlcicatis ad Irati

Adiistrati (nTIA) is distribtig $4.7 billi t a

ix prvidrs, stat agcis, lcalitis, prit

rgaizatis ad varis rs pblic-privat

partrships. Th y is big sd t xpad

accss t ad adpti bradbad, r layig

ibr i th grd t cvrtig libraris adcllgs it pblic cptig ctrs, rts

that hlp itrdc w srs t bradbad ad

dstrat its rlvac t thir livs. Th u.S.

Dpartt Agricltrs Rral utilitis Srvic

is sig th raiig $2.5 billi t achiv

siilar ds i rral aras thrgh its Bradbad

Iprvt Prgra.

Exhibit 2

BROADBAND IN AMERICA

Most connected Least connected

Source: Pew Center on the States, 2010, based on data from the Federal Communications Commission, December 2008

About 100 million Americans lack access to broadband at home. The reasons include cost, limited availability and userslack of knowledge about how it works or how it is relevant to their lives. Urban households are much more likely to havebroadband connections than are households in rural areas.



S T AT e S R o L e

Thrgh th stils packag, th dral

gvrt ipltd th Bradbad Data

Iprvt Act, which is ablig st stats

t dvlp thir w plas r hw t xpad

accss t ad adpti bradbad ad tcrat dtaild aps tliig th crrt stat

availability, tchlgy ad spd. nTIA has $350

illi at its dispsal r appig ad plaig,

rts that ar ixtricably likd. It has awardd

appig gratsrqirig a 20 prct atch

t all stats ad $500,000 ach t st stats r

plaig. All th rsltig data will d it th

natial Bradbad map that will b ad pblic

i Fbrary 2011. nTIA acd i may 2010

that it will accpt applicatis r gig stat

appig rts, with dig r a additial

thr yars data cllcti.

Th data that stats ar big rqird t sbit

t nTIA ar r sphisticatd ad cprhsiv

tha th data drpiig st th arlir

stat appig rts. Th atial ap will

cpris a br layrs: th ggraphic

availability, typs tchlgy ad spd

bradbad srvicaddrss by addrssas

wll as pblic accss pits ad a wid rag

cic ad dgraphic data.36

Icldig this lvl gralarity taks stats ar

byd siply appig whr bradbad is

availabl ad whr it ist. natially cparabl

data abt tchlgy ad spd will b

particlarly iprtat as stats sk t iprv

bradbad rliability ad spd i aras whr

s lvl cctivity is alrady i plac.

nTIA awardd its plaig grats dirctly t stats

with a gal hlpig th bild lg-tr

itral capacity. nTIA acd i may 2010 that

it will allw stats t sk additial dig r a

rag plaig-rlatd activitis, icldig stat

bradbad task rcs r advisry bards, tchical

assistac prgras ad iitiativs t prt

icrasd cptr wrship ad Itrt sag.

What y s tday is th lad i ach stat

big hsd i a br dirt placs, said

A nvill, dirctr th Bradbad mappig

Prgra at nTIA ad a rr assistat scrtary

r cic dvlpt ad tchlgy

r Caliria. Y crtaily s a cic

dvlpt ritati, t that it didt

xist r r iv yars ag, bt ppl wr still

strgglig t b abl t xplai why bradbad

was rally iprtat.37

Th r th stats s th plaig grats t

hlp th dvlp thir lg-rag visis r

bradbad dplyt ad sag, th bttr

psitid thy will b t achiv thir gals. I

y dt hav a hlistic apprach ady dt

hav th statwid visi, yr icrasig yr

chacs ailr, said Charls Ghii, dirctr

th Divisi Tlcicatis i Flridas

Dpartt maagt Srvics. Thats th

way wv b gig at it, th wrg way. W

wr t ragtd i Flrida. I 2001, th statcratd a Digital Divid Ccil, bt its dig ad

spprt disappard s atr its crati.38

missris plaig grat is ablig th stat t

tak a lg-tr prspctiv ad dvlp a bttr

crdiatd, statwid apprach, accrdig t

Rbrt Dlly, bsiss dvlpt aagr

r th missri Dpartt ecic

Dvlpt. This is critical wh akig

dcisis abt ay typ pblic asst that will

rqir ctid ivstts vr svral yars,

Dlly td, addig that it is particlarly tr

with a tchlgical asst sch as bradbad that

vlvs qickly. As with trasprtati, Dlly

said, y dt wat t raliz a w yars dw

th rad that y dd a r-la highway

wh y ly pt i a tw-la rad.39



S T AT e S R o L e

early, wll-stablishd plaig rts hav ad

a dirc i stats sch as Caliria, mista

ad nrth Carlia, whr crdiati ag

a varity stakhldrs has hlpd acilitat

statwid apprachs t xpadig accss tad th s bradbad. oc th stils was

acd, this wrk hlpd avid a r-r-all

grab r th dral ds ag cptig

privat, prit ad pblic-sctr playrs. Bttr

yt, th stats wr wll psitid t s th

ds t bild thir t. Bt r ay

thr stats, th lack i-hs capacity ad

xprtis bradbad ad it challgig t

btai r dirct th stils ds.

nTIA askd gvrrs r thir ipt all BToP

dig applicatis rigiatig withi thir

brdrs, rgardlss whthr thy ca r

th pblic, privat r prit sctr. S stats

prvidd a list prrrd prjcts bt rd

xplaati r jstiicati; s icldd

a cprhsiv list prjcts, bt rvd

applicatis by t--stat titis bcas thy

lackd a stablishd, -th-grd prsc

i thir stat ad appard t b targtig

ltipl stats with thir tris. othrs, sch

as nrth Carlia, wr abl t prvid a walth

irati t nTIA, cplt with a rakd

list prjcts ad a idpdt aalysis ad

xplaati ach. Ths wr crtaily r

cpllig tstiials r th stats tha th

s that siply said, Hr ar th s w lik,

said nTIA Chi Sta T Pwr. Applicatis

that dstratd thy had by-i r th pblicad privat sctrs ad sicit capacity ad

kw-hw t cplt cplx prjcts hav had

a lg p i th dig prcss, Pwr said.40

Wst Virgiia prvids a cas i pit. At th ti

th stils was acd, th stat had jst

cpltd a plaig prcss that gratd

ipt r a varity pblic ad privat-sctr

stakhldrs, ad it had dvlpd a lg list

prjcts t accplish i th yars t c.41

Th isi dral dllars will tr th stats

plasad i act st its wish listit a

rality i a attr ly 24 t 36 ths, th tirqird by th lgislati r stats t cplt

prjcts dd by th is.42

I additi t a $1.4 illi appig ad plaig

grat ad svral sallr BToP grats awardd t

privat-sctr ad prit partrs,43 Gvrr

machis ic rcivd $126 illi t add

2,400 ils ibr t th stats xistig pblic

saty twrk, which iclds th stats plic

ad ir dpartts ad thr irst rspdrs,t cct r tha 1,000 achr istittis

sch as schls, libraris ad gvrt ics

at a spd p t 45 gabits pr scd. This

i tr will hlp spr ardabl bradbad accss

by allwig lcal Itrt srvic prvidrs t lik

t th stats p twrk. ultiatly, th rt is

xpctd t cct 700,000 hshlds, 110,000

bsisss ad 1,500 achr istittis acrss

Wst Virgiia t high-spd, rliabl bradbad

that cld draatically blstr th cic

cptitivss ay rral ad largly wird

aras th stat.44

Cpltig ths prjcts i thr yars

ay b challgig, spcially r stats

with th highst lvls d. evry stat

is apprachig this dirtly partly bcas

thir dgraphics ad partly bcas

th spply [tlcicatis

cpais] i thir stat, said J. Stph

Fltchr, prsidt th natial Assciati

Stat Chi Irati oicrs (nASCIo)

ad utahs chi irati icr. I utah,

r xapl, gvrt titis ad largr

tlc prvidrs hav b listd t

play a rl bcas ay th sall, rral

tlcicatis prvidrs lackd th



S T AT e S R o L e

capacity v t pt tgthr applicatis.

Wh w wt t t r rral tlcs, thy wr

itrstd bt thy rally didt hav th sta t

writ grat prpsals, Fltchr said. Thy tld

s, W rally cat participat. I th stat didtprvid s th capability, th thy wrt

gig t b abl t g rward with it.45

It als has b tgh t gt th y i

had t gt prjcts dr way. Applicatis

r st bradbad-rlatd stils dig

hav clsd, bt as April 2010, ly $1.2

billi th $4.7 billi allcatd r BToP ad

ly $1.1 billi th $2.5 billi allcatd

thrgh th u.S. Dpartt Agricltr hadb rlasd i grats.46 nTIA acd i

may 2010 that it wld rp th applicati

widw r stat ad lcal gvrts t

bild pblic saty bradbad systs with

700 mHz spctr ad availabl t th by

a rct FCC dcisi. Th dral gvrt

is rqird t bligat all th ds by

Sptbr 30, 2010.47

Stats Crcial Rl

Th stils-dd prjcts c with high

staks. Stats sccsssr ailrswill act

hw thy dcat stdts, prvid halth

car ad prtct th pblic, ag thr

iprtat tcs. Th FCC rcgizd

bradbads rl i th prvisi srvics,

ddicatig a scti th natial Bradbad

Pla t sch atial prpss.

Th FCC wats stats t tak a ladig rl i

iprvig that srvic dlivry. Th pla aks

hdrds rcdatis, ay which

wld draatically act stats i ipltd.

S ar rlativly arrw, bt tgthr thy

add p t pttially sigiicat chags r

gvrts ad th pblic.

may th st rlvat rcdatis

r stats sk t liiat plicy barrirs t th

physical bild-t bradbad irastrctr

sch as accss t th lad dd t bry ibr

ad tility pls dd t hag itad sk t

localiTies geTTiNg iN The game

Some municipalities, such as Lafayette, Louisiana, and Bristol, Virginia, have moved aggressively to expand

broadband on their own. The two cities sought to fill the availability gap by investing in their own municipal

networks and serving citizens directly, as they do with other public utilities, such as water and sewer systems.

In some cases, a similar approach has had a major impact on economic development in rural communities. For

example, after constructing a municipal fiber-to-the-home broadband system, Powell, Wyoming, was able to lure

significant foreign investment. A South Korean venture capital firm has agreed to pay as much as $5.5 million to

engage 150 certified teachers to teach English to South Korean students using high-speed video teleconferencing

that will enable them to work from home.48

With the help of $9 million in state and federal grants, Bristol extended its fiber network to eight counties in

Virginias Coalfield region. That investment has helped bring new jobs to the area; for example, international ITconsulting firm CGI and defense contractor Northrop Grumman cited the network in their decision to hire 700

additional technicians, consultants and call operators in nearby Lebanon, Virginia.49

Several years ago, a number of cities launched programs to provide wireless access to high-speed Internet to their

residents for free or a reduced rate. That movement has died down significantly. But while high-profile projects

were canceled in cities such as Chicago, Houston and San Francisco, some municipalities are continuing to

experiment with this approach. Philadelphia revived its push for municipal Wi-Fi in December 2009, more than a

year after a deal with EarthLink, a private provider, fell through. Corpus Christi, Texas, purchased back its network

from EarthLink after the company backed out of a similar arrangement and has since saved money by using the

network for electronic meter-reading.50



S T AT e S R o L e

iprv crdiati ag varis pblic ad

privat-sctr titis. Lvi said h ss a lack

cscisss abt hw sigly rlatd

pblic plicis ad rglatis ca hav a ajr

ipact bradbad. Fr istac, whvr arad is dg p r a twr is bilt r ay ras,

stat ad lcal gvrts shld b thikig

abt whthr additial bradbad accss ca

b icrpratd it th cstrcti.51

S th plas thr rcdatis ar

aid at akig li asir ad r cst-icit

r stat ad lcal gvrts whil spprtig

thir bradbad iitiativs. Fr xapl, th

pla rcds that th FCC strali th

applicati prcss r e-Rat, a grat prgra

thrgh which ay schls hav b cctd

t th Itrt, ad th pla als rcds that

th FCC prvid stats with gratr lxibility abt

hw t s th ds. I y g ad talk t s

th stat ad lcal gvrt lks wh dal

with dcati, th prcss r gttig ds

is icrdibly trts, said th Whit Hss

Hag, wh srvd as Virgiias chi tchlgy

icr dr rr Gvrr mark Warr. W

hav listd t ths ccrs.52

Th FCC alrady has ipltd at last

ths rcdatis: Schl cptig

ctrs rcivig e-Rat dig w ca b ad

availabl r city s ad digital litracy

traiig tsid ral schl hrs.53

Additially, th pla rcds that th

dral gvrt p its ctracts r

tlcicatis srvics r s by stat

ad lcal gvrts, ablig th t

bit r th assiv prchasig pwr

th dral gvrt ad t rdc

trasacti csts icrrd thrgh thir w

cplx ctractig prcsss.54 Th dral

gvrt rcivs a disct 20 prct

t 50 prct th gig arkt rat r

Itrt cctivity ad thr cicatis

srvics. Stat ad lcal gvrts cld

xpct t rciv a siilar disct i th chag

is ada pttially sigiicat savigs r

cash-strappd agcis.55



natial Prpss:Why Bradbad mattrs

Th pttial rach ad ipact applicatis r

bradbad srvic dwar th vlty chckig

-ail at a rstarat r btaiig drivig

dirctis a bil ph. Fastr Itrt

accss cld abl w ways dcatig

stdts ad ivlvig parts i hwrk.

It cld allw halth car practitirs t hav

virtal visits withad disps dicati t

patits i rt aras. It cld allw bsissst xpad thir arkts ad rdc vrhad

csts. It cld abl gvrt t prvid

srvics r icitly, ad allw citizs t

itract with gvrt r rqtly ad

r asily. Althgh ay applicatis th

tchlgy ar t w t valat thir ltiat

ctivss, jst abt vry plicy ara that

stats aag cld b actd by xpadig

bradbad accss ad adpti. At th d th

day th st iprtat thig abt bradbad is

t th spd th twrks r th clss

th dvics, bt its hw ppl s it, said Lvi.

Y cat s it witht grat twrks ad grat

dvics, bt its that s that ltiatly dtris

its val t idividals ad t scity.56

Th natial Bradbad Pla idtiis a wid rag

vital aras it calls atial prpssbsiss,

dcati, rgy csrvati, gvrt

accss, plitical prcss ad pblic satythat

cld b wll srvd by gvrt prti

bradbad accss ad s. Th w atial

bradbad stratgy lks at, r xapl, hw

xpadig bradbad cld ak it asir t tak a

class, cslt with a dctr r wrk r h r a

cpay lcatd acrss th ctit.

Th FCC is cragig stats, which hav a hg

stak i ach ths aras, t play a prit

rl i advacig th plas gals. Fr istac,

c bradbad availability is xpadd, dralicials xpct stats t strali prssial

licsr rls t acilitat wrkig acrss stat

lis, spcially r dctrs ad tachrs, ad t

rvap tax cds s li wrkrs ar t payig

priary taxs i r tha stat. Th FCC als

rcds that gvrts, icldig stats,

bild r rbst li srvics that wld

abl citizs t rgistr t vt, lar abt

pblic spdig r sig p r saty t prgras

witht rpatd trips t varis ics. Ad th

FCC is cragig stats t s thir lvragr

xapl, as tility rglatrs that ca adat

th istallati sart trs ad as ajr

halth car prchasrs that ca isist th s

lctric halth rcrdst rg privat idstry

t spd p its dvlpt ad adpti

Itrt-basd tchlgis.

At the end o the day the

most important thing about

broadband is not the speedo the networks or the coolness

o the devices, but its how

people use it.

Blair Levin, executive director o the

Omnibus Broadband Initiative



n AT I o n A L P u R P o S e S

Svral stats alrady ar xtrly activ i ths

atial prps aras. S stat gvrts,

r xapl, ar lkig at a varity ways t

dlivr dical srvics t rral aras. Th FCCs

atial pla addrsss hw bradbad cld

blstr ths rts by allwig patits t visit

dctrs vid r by iprvig rgcy

rsps tis r paradics. Th llwig is a

clsr lk at th plas atial prps gals ad a

saplig stat rts i ths aras. may th

rts ar i thir arly stags, s th jry still is t

thir ctivss.

Halth Car

Bttr s bradbad cld iprv th halth

car syst by drivig dw csts ad iprvig

rslts r patits, th FCC says i its pla. Th

cissi citd a 2007 stdy by th Ctr r

Irati Tchlgy Ladrship that said sig

vid csltati istad i-prs dctr visits

r prisrs, rsig h rsidts ad hspital

patits wh d tsid xprts cld sav $1.2

billi aally.57 Th FCC als ttd th pttial

bits t patits r sig rt itrigdvics t kp tabs ppl wh lav th

hspital atr a ajr dical crisis, sch as a hart

attack. Rt systs ca allw dctrs t s

i a patit is pttig wight r shwig thr

warigs that r hart prbls ar iit,

v br th patit cplais w sypts.

Th cissi pitd t stdis that say jst

trackig patits wh hav r sparat chric

cditis cld sav $197 billi vr 25 yars.58

Th FCC als is prssig stats t ct th rd tap

that cld hapr th widr s Itrt-basd

dici. I its v t prt lg-distac

halth tratt, th cissi wats stats

t ls rstrictis licss r t--stat

dctrs ad t prt th s lctric

prscriptis. Stats alrady hav bg t act. A

grp r tha 20 statsr Alabaa t

Alaskais tryig t ak it asir r a dctr with

a lics i stat t practic i athr, a ky

rqirt i tldici, whr th patit

ad dctr ay b i dirt stats. oicials r

ths stats, cvd by th natial Gvrrs

Assciatis Ctr r Bst Practics, hav b

wrkig straliig th prcss. Stats hav

siilar licsig rqirts, r th st part,

bt ir dircs ak it brds r

physicias t btai ltipl licss, th grp,

which is calld th Stat Alliac r -Halth, wrt

i 2009. Ths dircs als crat iicicis

ad xpsiv rddacis i th licsr prcss

r idividal bards ad th syst as a whl.59

Th alliac sggstd sig a li tl that

wld allw physicias t kp thir prssial

histris p-t-dat. mdical schls, hspitals

ad stat rglatrs als cld dit r vriy

rcrds. That way, wh a dctr wats t apply

t practic i a w stat, ch th paprwrk

chas wld b liiatd.60

Althgh stralid licsig is a gal that had

stat icials scrablig v br th FCC ttd

it, t vry is cvicd that th prcss

applyig r t--stat licss is gh a

bstacl t prvt dctrs r sig patits

rtly. Da Hdk, xctiv scrtary r

th nrth Dakta Bard mdical exairs, was

ivlvd i th alliacs rts. W wat all th

dctrs w ca gt, h said.61 Bt Hdk addd

that h has s littl vidc that th dical

lics prcss is haprig tldici i nrth

Dakta, whr v dctrs r Astralia prvidrt car. oc all th paprwrk is cllctd,

nrth Dakta typically isss a prvisial lics

withi a wk, Hdk said.

I th v t brig pharacis li, utah this

sprig passd lgislati akig it th ly stat t

allw dctrs t prscrib dici t patits thy

xai li.62 Bt th practic is liitd t lcal




participats. T prvt rad ad sr prdct

saty, utah lawakrs spciid that th dctr

writig th prscripti, th drg str illig it ad

th li cpay cctig th tw st hav

a physical prsc i utah.

Th FCC als calld stats t hlp dvlp th

s lctric halth rcrds, spcially thrgh

mdicaid, th dral-stat halth israc prgra

r th pr. I Caliria, th wrk th bradbad

task rc hlpd th stat cpt r ad wi a

varity dral ds rlatd t -halth bcas

it was abl t dstrat d with slid data,

accrdig t Chg Calirias oic th Stat

Chi Irati oicr. I additi t stils

ds gard tward spdig th adpti

lctric halth rcrds, th stat rcivd $22

illi thrgh a FCC pilt prjct that will hlp

crat th Caliria Tlhalth ntwrk. Th

twrk will cct r tha 800 Caliria

halth car prvidrs i drsrvd aras t a stat

ad atiwid bradbad twrk ddicatd t

halth car. Th gal is r th patit t t hav

t g back it th city as t, said Chg, tig

that th ability t trasit diagstic irati,

sch as X-rays, lctrically ad t prvid spcialty

spprt t rt aras via tldici has th

pttial t draatically rdc halth car csts.63

As the National Broadband Plan notes, broadband can

improve lives by removing barriers of time and space.

The ability to use instant information from around the

world can improve even the most routine activities.

The more crucial the activity, the bigger the benefits of

broadband.

In emergency medicine, for example, high-speed

Internet access can mean the difference between life

and death. In northern Iowa, a young mother of tworecently was rushed to a small community hospital with

injuries sustained in a car crash, recalled Dave Lingren,

interim executive director of the Iowa Communications

Network.64

The mothers injuries, including a fractured skull, were

severe. The hospital performed a CAT scan, but the staff

had to send the images to specialists in Mason City

because the hospital did not have its own radiologist.

Unfortunately, the hospitals Internet connection was

slow, and it took nearly half an hour for the CAT scans

to download in Mason City. As soon as the specialists

saw the images, they called the hospital and told thedoctors there to drill into her skull. Without relieving

the pressure, they said, the mothers brain would not

function. But the call came too late. The mother had died

15 minutes before the radiologists called. That, Lingren

said, is the state of broadband in rural Iowa.

The FCC and the Iowa Hospital Association are now

building an online network for 89 rural providers to

ensure that the same thing does not happen again.

When the $10 million project is completed at the end

of 2011, the network will be 30 to 300 times faster than

current connections.

The National Association of State Emergency Medical

Services Officials envisions a far more advanced scenario.

After a car crash on a stretch of highway far from the

nearest hospital, paramedics could start learning

information about the accident before the ambulance

even arrives, the group said in testimony to the FCC.65

Onboard crash assistance equipment, such as OnStar,can help first responders prepare for the crash scene

by providing data about the severity of damage, speed

of the vehicle and roll-over information, said Kevin

McGinnis, an advisor to the group.66 Such systems may

eventually provide photos and audio, too.

Paramedics also could find out, while still en route,

whether a medical helicopter is available, whether

there are beds available at nearby hospitals and

whether specialists are on duty. Once a patient is in

the ambulance, video feeds could allow doctors to

monitor the crash victims and start ordering treatment,

technology that already is being used in Baton Rouge,Louisiana, and Tucson, Arizona. Wireless sensors could

monitor the patients vital signs, and that data could be

sent to the hospital instantly. An electronic health record

could give doctors, nurses and paramedics their patients

medical history instantly.

It is a far-off vision, though, as most emergency

departments today still employ the radio

communications they used 35 years ago, McGinnis said.

You just cant do that on [todays] narrowband systems.67

sPeed caN save lives




Pblic Saty

Accrdig t th natial Bradbad Pla, th

FCC itds t dvlp a cprhsiv li

twrk r pblic saty wrkrs, which wld

lik plic, ir ightrs, ati-trrris tas ad

critical irastrctr its, icldig pwr plat

wrkrs. Siilar plas hav lagishd i th past,

bt th FCC hps its w apprach wld giv

irst rspdrs th ability t s data. Dvlpig

sch a twrk wld c with a sbstatial pric

tag: ovr th xt 10 yars, it wld cst $12 billi

t $16 billi t bild ad aitai th prpsd

twrk.68 Th cissi als wats t rvap

th atis tdatd 911 call ctrs t b abl talrt th pblic drig rgcis.69

o part th FCCs pla r th pblic saty

twrk st alars with stat icials. Th

cissi wats t acti a blck spctr

t crcial carrirs, bt ly th cditi

that ths carrirs wld shar it with pblic

saty agcis. Stat ad lcal icials arg

that ly pblic saty agcis shld b abl

t s th blck. Sv atial rgaizatis,icldig th natial Gvrrs Assciati ad

th natial Crc Stat Lgislatrs, said

th cissis prpsal rlis tstd

tchlgis ad w rglatis that cat

sr rliabl ad rsilit cicatis

capabilitis t t strigt pblic saty ds.70

At th stat lvl, org is bildig a $414

illi cicatis twrk t abl its

irst rspdrs t itract with ach thr, vi rt parts th stat. Th prjct was

prptd i part by FCC rglatis rqirig

rgcy radis t switch rqcis ad s

arrwr chals by 2013 i a rt t s radi

rqcis r icitly. orgs pla ivlvs

bildig r pgradig radi twrs at 265 sits ad

is dsigd t wrk with rspdrs r r stat

dpartts as wll as lcal agcis.71

edcati

Th natial Bradbad Pla is cragig

stats t icld digital litracy stadards i thir

crricla s stdts lar t s li tls. Th

FCC als wats stats t ak it asir r K-12

stdts t tak li crss, v i th tachrs

ths crss ar i thr stats.72 A sris

prpsals at th dral lvl, s icldd i th

bradbad pla ad s that ar alrady dr

way, wld ak cptr labs at lcal schls

ad city cllgs availabl t th largr

city r Itrt accss. Alaska was th irst

stat giv prissi t lt schls that rciv

dral e-Rat sbsidis r bradbad cctist p thir cptr labs r lcal rsidts t

s atr schl hrs.

I a rt t brig tchlgy it th classr,

Psylvaia icials ar wrkig with th atial

prit Pblic Bradcastig Srvic (PBS) t

crat ad aitai digital larig libraris. Th

cllctis giv stdts i th classr accss

t ctt prdcd by PBS r tha 300 pblic

tlvisi statis, bth lcally ad atially,that is rlvat t thir crswrk. Th libraris

icld vid, adi, iags, gas ad thr

itractiv atrs.73

Caliria Gvrr Arld Schwarzggr

has b a vcal prpt vig schls

tward sig r lctric txtbks. I 2009,

th stat dtrid that r digital txtbks

cvrig ath ad chistryt all th

stats crricl stadards, ad athr 10t 90 prct its stadards. Th stat w

is valatig sbissis r pblishrs r

r lctric txtbks cvrig histry, scial

scics ad highr-lvl ath. Lcal schl

districts ltiatly will dtri whthr t s

th r atrials. Schwarzggr has strssd

that th digital txtbks ca b sd i a varity

ways, ad t all th wld rqir a




Itrt ccti. Fr xapl, stdts cld

rad th a cptr r pritd pags

distribtd by th schls.74

ergy ad th evirtTh natial Bradbad Pla istrcts stats t

pav th way r dvlpig a sart grid that

abls cstrs t s th Itrt t s thir

crrt ad histrical rgy sag ad th pric

pwr. That irati cld hlp cstrs

ak bttr chics abt hw thy s lctricity

ad cld spr a lrry ivatis r third

partisr iPh applicatis that itr a

hs pwr sag t spcializd rzrs that

ak ic ly at ight. I stats d t act ths

chags s, th FCC says, Cgrss shld stp

i ad gt it d.

Txas is stat alrady vig rward

aggrssivly i this ara. Its tilitis hav istalld

r tha illi sart trs that trasit

irati abt lctricity s wirlssly t th

tility, liiatig th d r tr radrs.

Sart trs als ca allw cstrs t s

thir lctric sag br th bill cs, alrt

tilitis t pwr tags ad cicat

wirlssly with hshld appliacs, icldig

itrs that istatly ca shw cstrs hw

ch y thy ar spdig lctricity.

Th Txas Pblic utility Cissi has vrs

th trasiti, icldig sttig rats ad tstig

sart trs.75 Csrs will pay r th w

qipt vr a lg ti. I th Dallas ara, r

xapl, th tility will bill th a xtra $2.19 ath r th xt 11 yars.

othr stats hav b activ i ways t itgrat

Itrt tchlgy with th pwr grid as wll. I

th wak rllig blackts that hbbld th stat

i 2000 ad 2001, Caliria rglatrs ar pshig

a sris wid-rachig chags, ivlvig,

ag thr thigs, hw pwr is gratd ad

hw ch pllti is prdcd as a rslt. millis

cstrs i th Ls Agls ara ar slatd

t cplt th v t sart trs by 2012.76

mawhil, i a rgy csrvati packag

passd i 2008, Psylvaia lawakrs icldd arqirt t rll t sart trs vr 15 yars.77

Ths qstis rgy cspti ad

rgy data accss ar gig t b hadld at th

stat lvl lss Cgrss stps i, said nick Siai,

th FCCs rgy ad virt dirctr r

th bradbad pla. As rclly as w ca, wr

tryig t rg stats t llw th lad Caliria,

Txas ad Psylvaia.78

ecic opprtity

T prt th grwth sall bsisss,

th FCC is callig th u.S. Dpartt

Crc t ak it asy r rgial aagrs

t dcid whr t lcat acilitis by sig

itgratd dral, stat, trib ad lcal data

li. Th natial Bradbad Pla pshs r

xpadd trach rts t trprrs,

spcially thrgh trship prgras w

r by stats ad prit rgaizatis, ad it

als calls r stats, th dral gvrt ad

lcal gvrts t bar part th cst

sch trach. As a dl, th FCC highlightd

a prgra calld JpStart i ohi, a Clvlad-

basd iitiativ lachd i 2004 that pairs

xpricd trprrs with bddig bsiss

ladrs, spcially w ad iritis.79

Accrdig t aalysis, i 2009 JpStart ad

th r dz cpais it wrks with addd $90illi t th lcal cy ad acctd r

664 jbs.80

Athr gal th bradbad pla is t liiat

sitatis that cld sbjct li wrkrs t taxs

r tw r r stats. Th FCC rcdd

that Cgrss sipliy th stat tax rls r bil

wrkrs; lgislati is crrtly stalld.81




Gvrt Prracad Civic egagt

Th bradbad pla rcds that Cgrss

allw stats ad lcal gvrts t participat i

dral cicatis ctracts t sav y.

Bt it als crags all gvrts t b r

rspsiv li t thir cstitcis. Th pla

td that th csig array stat rglatis

r th 11 largst ic-dpdt saty t

prgras rqirs a typical aily t ill t six t

ight applicatis ad visit six dirt gvrt

ics.82 I utah, hwvr, a sigl stat wrkr ca

prcss applicatis r mdicaid, d staps ad

wlar bits. oli accss aks that pssibl,said Fltchr, nASCIo prsidt ad utahs CIo. Th

stat has 1,200 wrkrs wh dtri ligibility r

th saty-t prgras; ths, abt 400 t 500

wrk rtly all th ti, sig phs ad th

Itrt, h said.

Th atial pla crags all lvls

gvrt t s bradbad t icras

trasparcy by allwig citizs t participat

i gvrig via th Itrt. Th FCC spciically

rcds that stats allw vtrs t rgistr

li ad t pdat r trasr thir rgistratis

wh thy v. Th cissi als prts

xpasi prgras that allw ths i th

ilitary srvig vrsas t vt li r lctis

at h.83

Ariza bca th irst stat t rll t a li

vtr rgistrati syst i 2002. Th prgra,

calld eZ Vtr, ccts th stats drivrs lics

databas with vtr rgistrati rlls, which hlps

rdc rad. By 2008, abt -ith all

Arizas vtrs had rgistrd li, ad th

scrtary stats ic says 60 prct t 70prct all w rgistratis wr prcssd

lctrically. A stdy cissid by th Pw

Ctr th Stats d that th arragt

savd y, t. I maricpa Cty, whr 60

prct Arizas liv, a li applicati

cst 3 cts t prcss, cpard with 83 cts r

a papr r. Ad Ariza vtrs wh rgistrd

li als had slightly highr trt rats

tha ths wh rgistrd i prs i th 2008

prsidtial lcti.84

othr stats hav llwd Arizas lad.

Washigt sd a siilar syst i th 2008

prsidtial lcti; Clrad, Kasas ad

org all hav sic startd sig li vtr

rgistrati.85

o prjct t ir citizs that attractd ch

attti is KaViw, th irst ay li

tls t hlp rsidts drstad hw thirstat tax dllars ar spt.86 Th Wb sit allws

visitrs t s ctracts, ply salaris ad

agcy xpditrs. oicials itd t iprv

th sit t ak it asir t avigat ad sarch.

or apprach has b t pt vrythig t

thr, vry acctig trasacti, said Kasas

Scrtary Adiistrati Da Gss. Its t

cplicatd i that ss. evrythig is thr.87



Bradbad is availabl t 95 prct Aricas,

aig that th irastrctr is i plac r thvast ajrity t sbscrib t bradbad whr

thy liv. Bt that igr asks larg disparitis

ag stats ad lcalitis, rba ad rral aras,

ic lvls, ad racial ad thic backgrds.

Fr istac, r tha hal th stats still hav

lcal jrisdictis whr lss tha 50 prct

hshlds hav accss t bradbad spds that

t th FCCs gals.88

Th statistic als disgiss thr crcial gaps ispd ad qality. Lw spds, pr ccti

qality, high prics ad lack cptiti ag

prvidrs ay t distrss srs wh hav ial

accss t bradbad, spcially i rral aras. mr

tha 50 prct tachrs say slw r rliabl

Itrt accss prsts bstacls t thir s

tchlgy i classrs, accrdig t th FCCs

atial pla. Frthr, ay bsiss lcatis,

schls ad hspitals t hav cctivity

rqirts that cat b t by ass-arkt

DSL, cabl ds, satllit r wirlss rs, ad

st by ddicatd high-capacity circits sch as

T-1 r Gigabit ethrt srvic that ca b diiclt t

acqir r prhibitivly xpsiv, th pla statd.89

esrig bradbad availability r th stiatd

14 illi Aricas r wh sbscribig t

bradbad is t a ptiad iprvig

th qality ad spd xistig srvicstarts

with irastrctr. Bildig t irastrctr

r ay w tchlgyr tlgraph i

th itth ctry t digital tlvisi

tdayis always diiclt. Th prcss is raght

with dispts vr lad, laws ad y. Fr

bradbad, th battl has alrady bg. Whil

ivrsal bradbad accss is a atial gal,

achivig it will dpd th stats. Fr

th, srig that all rsidcs, bsisss,

gvrt ics ad city istittislik libraris hav accss t high-qality, high-

spd bradbad as addrssig a passl

tchical, lgal, cic ad physical bstacls.

midig th Gap

Th irst stp t xpadig bradbad whr it is

st dd is appig crrt accss t high-

spd Itrt cctiswh has th ad

at what spds. Th dral nTIA, rspsibl rdvlpig a natial Bradbad map by Fbrary

2011, has bstd stats appig rts by givig

vry stat a grat thrgh th dral stils

packag t d ths iitiativs.90

Prvisly, abt a dz stats had cratd

bradbad aps that shwd th whr th

srvic was availabl withi thir brdrs.91

Bt v r stats that wr arly ladrs

bradbad appig, sch as Caliria adKtcky, th stils dig is iprvig th

rslts, ablig ch-dd pdats ad

stadardizig data cllcti acrss stats. Th

natial Bradbad mappig prgra rlis

stats t cpil ad sbit data hal a dz

idicatrs: 92

1. Availability bradbad srvic at th

rsidc r bsiss addrss lvl

2. Advrtisd ad actal spds srvic

3. Tchlgy sd (.g., cabl, DSL, Wimax)

4. Avrag rv pr sr

5. Lcati ad capability critical bradbad-

rlatd irastrctr

6. Spctr sd by wirlss bradbad srvic

prvidrs

Disparity I Bradbad Availability



D I S PA R I T Y I n B R o A D B A n D A VA I L A B I L I T Y

This wrk is tchically cplx ad pss

practical challgs bcas it rqirs th

cprati all a stats Itrt prvidrs. Th

rsltig natial Bradbad map ad databas

will b sarchabl by lcati ad will ak pblicst th irati sbittd by stats.

Svral stats hav b sccssl at appig

xistig bradbad cvrag ad spds dspit

th addd diiclty that thy cat rc privat-

sctr prvidrs t divlg prpritary dtails

abt thir cvrag. massachstts, r xapl,

has gtiatd -disclsr agrts with

prvidrs, which is spcially tricky bcas stats

ar sbjct t pblic rcrds laws. Bt th stat

has b abl t tic th prvidrs ad r

th sicit assracs, i part by pitig t

th bits t th prvidrs thslvs, sch as

idtiyig pttial w cstr pplatis,

ad th risks t spprtig th appig

rt. [Th prvidrs] ralizd that thy dd

t b s as part th slti ad t part th prbl, said Jdith Dt, dirctr th

massachstts Bradbad Istitt.93

Bt stats ladig i bradbad dplyt

ar dig ch r tha siply idtiyig

whr bradbad is ad whr it is t.

Washigt stat, r xapl, is ag svral

stats cbiig irati abt bradbad

availability with cic ad dgraphic data

i thir appig wrk t hlp citis bttr

s th irastrctr c it rachs th.94 By

vrlayig dcati ad cic data with

whr bradbad is w ad whr it is pladr, stat agcis ad privat titis r asily

ca idtiy aras whr, r istac, ppl

ight d Itrt-rlatd jb skills traiig r

whr th stats Dpartt Crc ca

targt bsiss dvlpt rts.

Jst th bradbad ap is t gh, said

Agla W, Washigts Bradbad Plicy ad

Prgras aagr. Y hav t pt i th thr

data that aks it r rbst.95

navigatig th Physical Challgs

oc stats dtri whr w r bttr

bradbad accss is dd withi thir brdrs,

th array bstacls t illig i th gaps is

datig. It is t as sipl as rig wir t a

hs. oicials ad privat-sctr prvidrs st

jggl rlatiships ad jrisdictial isss acrss

dral, stat, cty ad icipal agcis ad

dpartts. As th natial Bradbad Pla

idicats, th cst btaiig prits, lasig

tility pl accss ad btaiig rights--way

dd r bradbad irastrctr acrss

ltipl jrisdictis ca add p t as ch as

-ith th cst dplyig ibr ptic cabl.96

Ad st stat ad lcal gvrts agr that

crdiati acrss jrisdictis irastrctr

isss cld ad shld b iprvd.97

Acqirig rights--way acrss ltipl

jrisdictis ca b ag th st ti-

csig, cstly ad rstratig rqirts.

I stats witht crdiatd ad csistt

rights--way arragts, cratig a rbst

twrk ca drag r svral yars r bc

prhibitivly xpsiv.98

Ensuring broadband availability

or the estimated 14 million

Americans or whom subscribing

to broadband is not an option

and improving the quality and

speed o existing servicestarts

with inrastructure.




S stats hav hadld th prbl by

crdiatig at th stat lvl th rights--way

that prvidrs d. Fr istac, i a iitiativ t

lik bradbad acrss th stat, michigas meTRo

Athrity tk th ris t crdiat pblic rights--way acrss rs citis ad twships.99

each prvidr is rqird t rprt t th athrity

hw ch bradbad li it rs ad whr th

lis ar lcatd. Th stat bills ths prvidrs r

th cst th rights--way ad rallcats th

y t th citis ad tws. Ths icipalitis,

i tr, st rprt t th athrity hw thy spt

th ds (which st b spt pblic rights--

way aitac ad pkp).100

Th arragt garats th bradbad

prvidrs accss t pblic aras ad savs th

th hadach crdiatig with svral

jrisdictis. It als hlps th icipalitis,

ay which d t hav th sta r xprtis

t wrk thrgh th tchical isss assciatd

with scrig bradbad rights--way.101 Th

athritys rl als abls it t act as a pit

ctact r vry, s prvidrs, icipalitis,

citizs ad bsisss ca id t r

icitly wh has ad wh ds bradbad

acrss th stat.

As with rights--way isss, th pl attacht

prcssstrigig tlph r cabl wir r

wirlss attachts t s typ xistig

irastrctr, typically a tility plrqirs

that rs titis act i twrk t

crdiat tiig ad cst, ch lik pblic

ad privat-sctr titis had t d wh

bildig ad sig th ctrys railrad syst.

Cplicatig th attr is that th 134 illi

tility pls atiwid hav dirt wrs

ad dirt rglatis, dpdig th

stat.102 Th FCC rglats ly abt 37 prct

th pls, whil 19 stats ad th District

Clbia hav chs t xrcis jrisdicti

vr s th raiig qipt.

Additially, ths wd by cprativs,

icipalitis ad -tilitis ar xpt r

FCC rglati.103 Dispts vr accss t pls

ca drag t r yarsv i stats with thsgvrd by th FCCdlayig dplyt

bradbad v lgr.

I may 2010, t addrss s ths isss,

th FCC adptd a rdr gratig tily accss

t pls ad clariyig th cst-, ti- ad

spac-savig tchiqs that cicatis

prvidrs ay s wh attachig t pls. At

th sa ti, th FCC als sght ct

r prpsd rlakig t rdc th disparitybtw tlc ad cabl prvidr attacht

rats, t dvlp a spciic tili r th pl

attacht prcss ad t rslv dispts

btw stakhldrs.

Th natial Bradbad Pla calls r Cgrss

t act a chrt ad ir plicy that

wld hariz accss rights ad csts

acrss th ati witht ipigig stat

rglatis that d t clict with sch aatial plicy.104 Abst that atial stadard,

s stats hav sd thir athrity t tak

th lad i straliig ad clariyig th tility

pl attacht prcss (ch as th FCCs

rct rdr ds). Rspdig t a prtractd

dispt ag stakhldrs, nw Yrks Pblic

Srvic Cissi issd a rdr i 2004

that sstially prscribs a tili ad path

rcrs r pl wrs ad th titis skig

accss.105 Th rdr sttld th dispt at had

ad als stablishd a statwid prcdr r

attachig bradbad irastrctr t xistig

tility pls, cvrig isss icldig accss,

tilis, csts ad diati. It ca strali

th prcss, ca lwr th cst ad ca iprv

th icicis all th way ard, said Jsph

Baiak, a tilitis spcialist with th stat Pblic




Srvic Cissi. Fr ths stats that hav

crtiid t th FCC that thy rglat tility

pls, it is sthig thy shld lk it i thy

havt alrady.106

Still, Baiak ward that stats shld b carl

abt sig rigid rls i thir apprachs,

giv ast-pacd chags i tchlgy. Fr

xapl, prvidrs s dirt typs wirlss

attachts, which ay rqir icials t rviw

accss rqsts a cas-by-cas basis.107

othr tchlgical challgs rai as

wll. As th natial Bradbad Pla ts,

dvlpig plicis that ar tchlgy

tralaig plicis that ar t basd

ay particlar tchlgy as it xists

at that t ad that rglatis shld

icld all dirt tchlgis that r

sstially th sa srvicshld b a tp

pririty r dral, stat ad lcal icials acrss

th ctry t sr that gvrt is t

rstrictig lxibility as tchlgis vlv.108

Bt tchlgical trality ca b r

challgig tha it ay s bcas plicist addrss sitatis tday ca hav rs

ipacts that wid p actig th bradbad

playig ild.

I th pl attacht ara, r xapl,

th stis patchwrk histry

tlcicatis rglati as that

s bradbad prvidrsicldig

ladli, clllar ad cabl prvidrsay

hav lss accss rights tha thrs (r accss at all), ad accss chargs ca b

siilarly ibalacd. Jsha Sida, vic

prsidt rglatry aairs at Idpdt

Tlph ad Tlcicatis Alliac, a

grp that rprsts id-siz prvidrs, says

r rglatry parity cld lad t gratr

bradbad availability i ay srvd ad

drsrvd aras.109

Addrssig ths lgal ad rglatry barrirs t

accss ad rights--way will t cls th atis

bradbad gaps vright, bt wld pav th

way t dig s.110

Payig th Bill

Athr challg t bradbad dplyt

is cst. Th FCC stiats th dirct cst

clsig th gap at $23.5 billi, ad a br

stats ar idig ways t hlp prvidrs

vrc that bstacl.111 I ay drsrvd

citis, spcially i pr ad rral aras,

bradbad ptrati by privat prvidrs

rais cically asibl bcas th

cst dplyt ay b gratr tha th

pttial r rv r csrs i ths

aras. Th challg rachig 250,000 hsig

its i xtrly rral aras acrss th ctry is

particlarly datig, ad accts r r tha

hal th vrall pric tag. Th cst rachig

ths its is $13.4 billi, r a avrag

$53,600 pr it.112

S stats hav hlpd cct r thir

rsidts by bildig t th twrk thslvs

t spplt xistig ad privat irastrctr.

Fr xapl, svral yars ag, Lisiaa bilt

a statwid twrk cctig its highr

dcati istittis, icldig its city

ad tchical cllgs, ad r ivrsitis i

mississippi. Th stats citt t ivst

The Federal Communications

Commission estimates it will

cost $23.5 billion to make

broadband available to the 14

million people who cannot

subscribe to the service.




abt $40 illi vr 10 yars hlpd lad t $75

illi i grats t rsarchrs wh wr abl t

lvrag th twrk r thir wrk, said Dald

Vadal, xctiv dirctr th Lisiaa optical

ntwrk Iitiativ (LonI).113

That twrk ard Lisiaa i-kid crdit wh

a csrti stat agcis ad dcatial

istittis applid r ad rcivd $80 illi i

dral stils y t bild t a iddl il

twrkwhich liks th cr twrk t lcal

accss pitsr drsrvd citis i rral

Lisiaa. Th prjct will cct th xistig LonI

twrk t 17 ipvrishd parishs i th stat,

which icld r nativ Arica tribal aras.114

Th stat als will b ctractig t last il

prvidrs (wh ak th ccti r th

iddl il accss pit t ach d-sr cstr)

t dlivr high-spd Itrt t achr istittis

sch as schls, libraris, hspitals ad ilitary

istallatis, ad will b lasig xcss ibr twrks

as wll. or ajr bjctiv is gttig ths achr

istittis cctd, Vadal xplaid, bt w

hp that athr priary bit is th cicdvlpt spis that rslt.115

Vadal, lik ay stat icials, phasizs th

iprtac pblic ad privat titis wrkig

tgthr t addrss bradbad availability

challgs. ot, gvrt ladrship is

dd t clar th datal cic r

tpgraphic hrdls t cctig srvd aras,

bt privat prvidrs still ar cssary t actally

istall ad s that ibr, ad t bild that iitial

istallati t rach xtdd sr citis.

Sstaiabl bradbad plicy sltis dpd

ths kids csidratis, said Ray Ba,

chaira th org Pblic utility Cissi.

At a Sptbr 2009 FCC wrkshp csd

bst practics r stat ad lcal gvrts,

Ba said, [W ] dt wat th taxpayr

sbsidizig rat payrs bcas w gt it this

with pblic y ad w d t w cldt

ak it g. Thats why th cs has t b

privat-pblic partrships with th pblic pti

as th last pti.116

nrth Carlias -nC Athrity sprs th srt

pblic-privat partrship that Ba drss,

ad it has ad th Tar Hl Stat a ladr i

prtig bradbad dplyt ad availability.

Sic 1999, th stat has awardd r tha

500 grats, st which wr ad t pblic-

privat (ad als prit) partrships. I 2007

ad 2008 al, th athrity hadd t r

tha $2 illi t privat prvidrs wh wr

rqird t atch th y ad s it t dlivr

bradbad irastrctr ad its applicatis t

srvd ad drsrvd citis. Thrgh

pblic-privat ad pblic-prit partrships,

prjcts dd by -nC Athrity hav cctd

15 schl systs i th stat t bradbad,

icrasd th ccti spd r 10 rgialhspitals ad dplyd bradbad i 10 th

st drsrvd ctis i th stat, ag

thr tcs.117

Bsids sharig r bildig xistig twrks,

as i Lisiaa, s stats ar idtiyig

pprtitis t lvrag xistig irastrctr

i partrships with privat prvidrs. With a

The challenge o reaching

250,000 housing units in

extremely rural areas across the

country is particularly daunting.

The cost o reaching these units

is $13.4 billion, or an averageo $53,600 per unit.


27/424 Pew Ceer he Saes4

D i S PA R i t y i n B R o A D B A n D A vA i l A B i l i t y

$28.8 m smuus gra, Pesaa

expaded he badwdh a pubc safe

mcrwae ewrka wreess bradbad

ssem prmar used b he sae pce

ceced b wers, ad w re sme f

ha capac prae prders.118

ifrasrucure eds be he ms expese

par f prdg bradbad, sad nam Wa,

Pesaas secrear f admsra. if

he sae cud make ha frasrucure ess

expese prders, he cud g where here

are ecessar eugh cusmers jusf

arge esmes [f her w].We make

ur ewrk bgger ad aw pepe use ha

ewrk. the ca bud ff ha ad prde ha

as me cusmers.119 Maxmzg he exsg

mcrwae aera wers as saed me ad

me, Wa sad, because he erra sme

pars f he sae s cduce ag wre

he grud.

Wh gra prgrams smar nrh Caras,

sme saes hae subsdzed prders fr he

cs f depg bradbad. the Cafra

Adaced Serces Fud prmes bradbad

usered ad udersered areas hrugh

awards iere prders.120 Smar, Maes

CecME Auhr has prded 18 gras

prders brg bradbad usered

areas acrss he sae he mre ha w ears

sce was frmed, wh he pea reach

27,000 husehds.121 the auhr has 31 mreappcas pedg s furh gra-makg

rud. Gras cer abu haf f he cs f a

prjec ad rage frm $50,000 $150,000,

ahugh sme hae bee as arge as $500,000.

the prgram s pad fr b a sma surcharge

-sae rea cmmucas serces ha

brgs abu $1.2 m aua.122

the ms arace prpsas, sad Php lde,

CecMEs execue drecr, shwcase

ad spre creae parershps bewee

cmmues ad prders. Fr sace, f a

cmpa ges free access c prper, such

as he c ha rf, mgh ge he c free

access he iere, lde sad. tha kd

f ge ad ake shws eere s wrkg

geher. 123the gras fcus budg up

access where curre des exs, bu

lde as ackwedged ha he sae hassme udersered rura areas where bradbad

cecs exs bu are as rbus as users

wud hpe.

Saes ca suppr he depme ad

aaab f bradbad udersered areas

umerus her was. Pesaas Ac 183,

fr exampe, requres eephe cmpaes

Exhibit 3

INTERNET USE IN NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina has worked for more than a decade tobring more people online, especially through the states

e-NC Authority, the first state broadband agency.

Internet

adoption

Computer

ownership

Incomelevel:

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Lessthan

$15,000

$15,000to

$24,999

$25,000to

$29,999

$30,000to

$49,999

$50,000to

$74,999

$75,000to

$99,999

$100,000or more

Source: Pew Center on the States 2010, based on data from North Carolinians Onlineby Kenneth Wilson, East Carolina University, November 2008




r bradbad t thir cstrs. As part

th 2004 law, th stat als cratd ds, via

assssts agaist prvidrs that ar cappd at

$5 illi pr yar, t str bradbad dad

i citis, t spprt trach prgrasttig th bits ad s bradbad

ad t hlp schls gai accss t bradbad

srvic.124 Psylvaia als lvragd its

prchasig vic ad data systs thrgh

a statwid ctract with prvidrs ad thr

tchlgy sllrs that allws lcal gvrts,

schls, libraris ad city cllgs t tak

advatag as wll.125

Hag, spcial advisr t th chi tchlgyicr at th Whit Hs, xplaid a tactic

that Virgiia ipltd wh h was th

stats chi tchlgy icr: W sd dig

r th tbacc sttlt t hlp sr

that citis that wld b ipactd by

th v away r tbacc agricltr wld

actally hav accss t bradbad s that thy

cld ivst i thir w tr.126

mawhil, stats icldig ohi ad Washigthav cragd prvidrs t r r

bradbad i xchag r th stats apprval

rgrs tlcicatis cpais.127

Ad mista, ohi ad Vrt ar ag

th stats rig prvidrs r lxibl

altrativ rglati arragts i xchag

r bradbad dplyt citts.128 Als

calld ictiv rglatis, ths arragts

typically allw rglatd prvidrs t ar largr

prits r rlax th hrdls prvidrs st clar

wh prpsig rat icrass, prvidd thy

t prrac targts.129

Gig arial with cablsthat is, attachig th

t s typ xistig physical irastrctr,

sch as a tility pl, a ir twr r v th

rtp a gvrt bildigis sally

chapr tha layig th i th grd, bt dig

c plicis als ct csts. A massachstts

Bradbad Istitt (mBI) prjct alg I-91

i th wstr part th stat, r istac,

ca abt wh th istitt lard that thstat trasprtati dpartt was istallig

a cdit r a IT-basd traic aagt

syst. Th grp wrkd t a cllabrati

t istall s its w ibr at th sa ti,

ad has sic dvlpd dig c plicy s

with th trasprtati agcy t tak advatag

siilar sitatis wh rights--way alrady

ar acqird ad shvls ar gig t b i th

grd. Ayti th grd is pd r ay

prps, stats d t b thikig abt layig

that cdit, said mBIs Jdith Dt. Th

agcy als has a siilar agrt with th

Dpartt Csrvati ad Rcrati t

hag wirlss qipt attachts th

stats ir twrs.130

Fir twrs ar jst pic th irastrctr

pzzl; stat ad lcal gvrts hav

rs tappd rsrcs i xistig

irastrctr. Virgiia law w rqirs statplic t csidr allwig wirlss Itrt

srvic prvidrs t s thir twrs.131 Ad

Flrida is attptig t ap bth pblic ad

privat irastrctr t bttr s it whvr

pssibl.132 As orgs Ba td at th FCCs

stat ad lcal wrkshp i 2009, [W ] hav a lt

irastrctr t thr wd by tilitis bth

pblic ad privat thats sittig thr that cld

b bttr tilizd tha it is tday i w gt pblic

cprati, lt al privat cprati.133

T rdc th barrirs ad bttr lvrag th

drsd rsrcs at th lcal lvl, Virgiia

dvlpd a city tlkit that, accrdig

t Kar Jacks, Virgiias dpty scrtary

tchlgy, hlps icipal ad cty

gvrts avigat th prcss r sccssl




bradbad dplyt. Th tlkit xplais

th varis tchlgis availabl, cvrs lgal

csidratis, prvids sapl ctracts, adviss

citis bradbad-ridly zig,

sch as rqirts r twrs, ad rs thrrlvat advic.

I shrt, said Jacks, it is a chat sht r lcal

gvrts that wat bradbad. Ad thr

is vidc that it wrks.134 Frakli Cty i

sthr Virgiia, r xapl, was csidrig

prchasig a wirlss syst r $500,000. usig

th tlkit s by-dw wrkshtstps r

lvragig what alrady is i plac t rdc

th cstth cty ralizd that xistigtwrs ad lad r twr sits cld rdc

dplyt xpss. Th cty dd p

spdig $83,000. Jacks crdits th tlkit

with hlpig icials dtri th assts thy

had availabl, th applicatis thy wr tryig

t r ad whthr thy had th right kid

plicis t ak th pla wrk.135

I its atial pla, th FCC td that 18 stats

still hav plicis i placr tright bas

t prcdral rqirtsthat cstrai lcal

rts t bild pblic bradbad twrks.136

Th itt sch plicis grally has b t

crag ad tic privat-sctr prvidrs

t ill th d. Bt i s lw-ic ad

rt aras, prvidrs hav t stppd i

ladig th FCC t rcd that citis ghtt hav th lxibility t dvlp pblic twrks

i cssary.137

The fUTUre of Wireless BroadBaNd

As technologies evolve and new broadband platforms develop, some states face the danger of falling further

behind. Nowhere is that more evident than with wireless broadband. While 3G wireless service, or third-generation

mobile telecommunications, is available in areas where 98 percent of Americans live, 40 percent of the countrys

land mass remains without 3G coverage.138 Getting service to those dead spots is crucial because 3G infrastructure

will be integral in the rollout of 4G networks, the next generation of wireless standards.139

For this reason, the FCCs National Broadband Plan recommends creating a Mobility Fund using money that

currently supports high-cost legacy telephone networks to support the deployment of 3G networks in all states,

bringing them up to a level of coverage on which future wireless platforms can be built. 140

Concerns about speed, cost and reliability make unclear the degree to which wireless broadband will be able to

compete with wireline broadband in the future. The National Broadband Plan calls for making 500 megahertz of

spectrumthe scarce airwaves over which wireless signals travelnewly available for broadband within the next

decade, enough to ensure spectrum for growing demand and developing technologies. By freeing up spectrum for

broadband, the FCC hopes to spur wireless-wireline competition to satisfy the speed, cost and reliability needs of

high-speed broadband users.

Greater wireless coverage could have an especially beneficial impact on closing the digital divide for minorities.141

On a typical day, Hispanics and African-Americans are 50 percent more likely than Caucasians to access the Internet

via handheld devices. In the case of African-Americans, handheld devices have helped significantly reduce theoverall broadband access gap.142



Bradbad Adpti:Brigig Arica oliJst 65 prct Aricas sbscrib t

bradbad at h, ad that br varis

draatically r stat t stat. Stats raliz

th risk a prsistt digital divid: Icrasigly,

ths wh s bradbad ay b scity s

wirs, ad ths wh d t ay pay a

high prici ti, y, cvic,

irati ad issd pprtitis.

Bradbad accss r all is sstial t tigth irati ds citis i a

dcracy, Albrt Ibarg, prsidt ad

chi xctiv icr th Jh S. ad Jas

L. Kight Fdati, said at a Kight-spsrd

bradbad r i march 2010. Witht it,

wll d p with a w catgry scd-

class citizs. With it, vry will b abl t

harss th scial ad cic pprtitis

th digital ag.143

Th grp ppl witht bradbad at

ha stiatd 100 illi Aricas

tds t b lss dcatd, lwr wag-arig

ad ldr tha ths wh s th srvic.144

o adlts wh ar high schl gradats, 46

prct s bradbad at h, cpard

with 82 prct ths wh attdd r

gradatd r cllg.145 usag alls alg

siilar ic lis: Apprxiatly 40

prct hshlds with arigs lss

tha $20,000 aally ar bradbad srs,

whil 87 prct hshlds with ics

xcdig $50,000 s bradbad at h.146

n-adptrs als r rqtly blg t

irity r disabld pplatis r liv i rral

aras. I act, idividals with disabilitis ak

p 39 prct -adptrs atially.147

Bradbad hlds trds pttial t

abl ppl with disabilitis t cicat

ad cct with thrs; t gag as part

r atial civic discssi, as li rs

ar bcig th tw halls th twty-irst

ctry, FCC Chaira Jlis Gachwski said i

a spch i march 2010.148

Ths wh lack bradbad accss at h

cit cst, digital illitracy ad th bli that

bradbad wld t datally iprv

thir livs as rass r ailig t sbscrib.149

mr tha -third idividal bradbad

6% use dial-up Internet at home

6% do not have Internet service at home

22% do not use the Internet

Another 1% do not use the Internet but could not be placed in the above categories

states' role in expanding broadband - pew center - june 2010

Documents