[1st-mile-nm] Educause: A Blueprint for Big Broadband

[Richard Lowenberg]

The call for 'big broadband' for all, is getting louder.
Will New Mexico take a leadership role, or continue to be on the wrong
side of the 'digital divide'?
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www.educause.edu/content.asp?page_id=1176&ID=1544&bhcp=1

EDUCAUSE Proposes New Approach to Broadband Development

EDUCAUSE, the association whose mission is to advance higher education by
promoting the intelligent use of information technology, today proposed
bringing the federal government, state governments, and the private sector
together as part of a new approach to making high-speed Internet services
available across the country.

The group, whose membership includes information technology officials from
more than 2,200 colleges, universities, and other educational
organizations, said that a new "universal broadband fund" would be
necessary so that "Big Broadband" - services of 100 mbps - could be made
widely available.

Because of the high costs of making certain that advanced services can be
widely deployed, EDUCAUSE suggested that the approximately $100 billion
cost for deploying broadband be shared. For example, the Federal
government, state governments, and private industry could each contribute
one-third of the cost. That way, for example, the Federal government would
be responsible for $8 billion per year for four years. The money would be
distributed through a new Universal Broadband Fund, which would be
administered separately from existing Federal telephone-support
mechanisms.

The new fund would be part of EDUCAUSE's eight-point Blueprint for Big
Broadband Connectivity. The other elements are: (1) leadership, vision,
and goals providing overall policy direction; (2) new organizations to
make certain the program runs properly; (3) tax incentives for investment;
(4) an open and nondiscriminatory network that network operators can't
impede or degrade lawful services or applications; (5) state and local
government construction of their own networks; (6) enhanced consumer
education about broadband services; and (7) increased resources for
broadband research.

EDUCAUSE Vice President Mark Luker said the report is a positive
contribution to current debates over broadband funding. "By bringing
together the federal government, state governments, and the private
sector, EDUCAUSE is proposing a solution to take the burden from any one
part of the economy while making certain that benefits of a new advanced
network will be available to all."

The entire report, "A Blueprint for Big Broadband," is available online at
http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EPO0801.pdf.

The report also contains a detailed analysis of broadband deployment in
the United States and in key countries around the world.


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Richard Lowenberg
P.O.Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504
505-989-9110,  505-603-5200 cell

1st-Mile Institute
New Mexico Broadband Initiative
www.1st-mile.com
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