Our response to the FCC's National Broadband Plan
The Transmission Project congratulates the Federal Communications Commission today on its formal release of a National Broadband Plan. We honor the Commission for its planning approach, making sure that voices inside and outside of Washington D.C. were included in the process using a range of media, including in-person conversation.
The emphasis on creating value, improving care, and maximizing consumer welfare in an environment where connectivity is presumed and expected represents a dramatic shift in perspective for the Commission and is to be lauded. Capitalizing on available resources and opportunities such as wireless backhaul spectrum, “dig once” policies, and existing community institutions and programs working to increase civic engagement is indeed the most efficient path forward towards reaching the goals set forth.
We do hope that greater emphasis and clarity will develop in the strategies to ensure affordability to low-income Americans and support them in adoption. The proposed National Digital Literacy Corps, much like The Transmission Project’s own Digital Arts Service Corps, is an important tool to support not only individual skill development, but also to strengthen organizations and schools to increase civic engagement and create content for the constituencies that trust them in their communities.
With the launch of the National Broadband Plan, some believe that the hard work is just beginning. In the field we know that the hard work continues and that this Plan will help to lay a foundation for renewed support of this work.
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Comments
Thanks for this well-written response. In seeing the FCC’s symposium at MIT on broadband access, its initiative create a similar project to Digital Arts Service Corps shows that – in a perfect world – well-funded and widespread access could lead to community engagement. But there’s a long way to go. Good thing y’all are around!
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