[1st-mile-nm] Senate Passes Broadband Data Improvement Act

[Richard Lowenberg]

>From the Benton Foundation
http://benton.org/node/17378?utm_campaign=Benton%27s+Headlines&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=2008/09/29/nid-17386&

September 29, 2008
Senate Passes Broadband Data Improvement Act

Source: US Senate Commerce Committee

On Friday, the Senate passed S. 1492, the Broadband Data Improvement Act, which
seeks to improve the quality of federal broadband data collection and
encourages state initiatives that promote broadband deployment. The Broadband
Data Improvement Act specifically would:

   1. Direct the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to conduct inquiries
into the deployment of advanced telecommunications services on an annual,
rather than periodic, basis.
   2. Direct the Census Bureau to include a question in its American Community
Survey that assesses levels of residential computer use and dial-up versus
broadband Internet subscribership.
   3. Direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to develop broadband
metrics that may be used to provide consumers with broadband connection cost
and capability information and improve the process of comparing the deployment
and penetration of broadband in the United States with other countries.
   4. Direct the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy to conduct a
study evaluating the impact of broadband speed and price on small businesses.
   5. Establish a program that would provide matching grants to State
non-profit, public-private partnerships in support of efforts to more
accurately identify barriers to broadband adoption throughout the State.

Links to Sources
Senate Passes Broadband Data Improvement Act
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=3bf3c95b-db08-4ba8-8f82-57fb0cc067da&Month=9&Year=2008


-- 
Richard Lowenberg
1st-Mile Institute
P.O. Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504
505-989-9110;   505-603-5200 cell
rl at 1st-mile.com  www.1st-mile.com

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