Ohio Digital Divide Working Group Policy Positions
In the midst of the telecom bill's rewrite, what do we hear a lot? A lot on net neutrality. A little on PEG funds. And tiny clips on local control and build out (mostly from the National League of Cities) In Ohio, we believe we need to confront the telecom bill on all of these fronts while also proactively looking for solutions.
Below are the Ohio Digital Divide Working Group’s positions in response to the rewrite of the proposed federal telecom bill, the impending federal farm bill and the state owned fiber network in
- Require telecoms to build out video services equitably just as the cable companies did when they first established service.
- Include strong network neutrality language.
- Include a community’s right to network, with no mandates requiring pre-approval from the incumbent provider.
- Include a state’s right to open their state owned fiber network to private ISPs, municipalities and community organizations.
- Establish new source of community technology funding since local franchise negotiating is being removed.
- Possible ideas -
1. Provide Digital Inclusion funding via the Universal Service Fund (would most likely require additional moneys go to the fund)
2. In addition to the set asides for the local governments and PEG, cable and telecom providers would also set aside 1% of revenue for local Digital Inclusion programs.
Expansion of Rural Broadband through Federal Legislation
1. Utilize the Universal Service Fund for increased rural broadband deployment (which may require increasing the funding USF receives);
2. Within the farm bill, improve the USDA Rural Telecom Program which is currently too cumbersome and reliant upon matching funds resulting in discouraging applicants from applying.
3. Within the farm bill, expand funding for the USDA Rural Telecom Program.
Within
1. Open up the Third Frontier Network (a state owned fiber network) to private ISPs, municipalities and community organizations to expand rural broadband to unserved areas.
posted by Angela Siefer @ 6:04 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
ANGELA.
Great Work! Keep up the pressure as a young, free-spirited Buckeye!
I'm an ex-Gringo from Fort Wayne, IN now living in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica (one of the most beautiful Provinces in all of the Americas). 44 different Cultural Backgrounds live here, but it is HIGHLY DISCRIMINATED against in Costa Rica.
I have written 12 different BLOGS (my background is WEATHER and BOWLING), using them as EDUCATIONAL TOOLS and making MAXIMUM usage of Open Source Technology in helping the poorest persons with Internet accessibility to make greatest usage
of these tools for their own PC's at home.
We are fighting the same thing here (but in SPANISH). The State-Owned
Electic Company AND Telephone Company called ICE is currently "privatizing" about 49% of its shares, but as you so beautifully stated for your Ohio customers,
90% is for "High-Value" Customers.
(Did I hit your Hot Button yet?)
We have Cruise Ships here from October 10th through April 30th each year, but only 3-5% of the 200,000 visiting tourist's money stays here!
Fully 95% goes to the Central Government in San Jose, bypassing our Municipality of Puerto Limon, and our Provincial and County Governments.
All under the guise of "we know what's best for you". (Sound like our friends in DC?)
Best wishes on you fight. I would love to meet with a group from your
Working Group, should you decide to take a Cruise or wish to form a Study Abroad Grant with OSU or any of the Ohio Public or Private Universities, we would LOVE to provide your Transport and have Interactive Cultural Learning
Sessions during your tenure here.
Currently, the Rutgers University Summer Study Abroad Group is here and will be departing Costa Rica today the 2nd of July.
They have been here for 30 days and will also have a Winter Study Abroad Group in 2007.
We have taken them to Puerto Viejo (where 44 different Cultures live in harmony near the Beach), protecting the cleanliness of the beaches, wildlife conservation and also are the friendliest people in Costa Rica. (You'll feel at home in 10 minutes after arriving).
April-June the Giant Loggerback Turtles lay their eggs about 10 miles Southeast of Puerto Viejo at Gandoca Wetlands Reserve. (A Nighttime Ritual you don't want to miss!)
Sorry to take so much of your pecious time, but BEST WISHES, Angela in your fight and please keep in touch.
Visit our Weather Blog for a moment
when you have time. It was written for a future point in time when YOU or another customer are caught in a Flood Event at nighttime, weekend or holiday and no one but your WiFi Cell Phone is available, but our Weather Page may SAVE your Family's or your own life(lives) by visiting this page showing the satellite photos of the clouds above you in Real-Time from Colorado State University and helping you to make an Intelligent decision as to whether to cross the bridge in front of you or wait a few hours for the river or creek to fall below flood stage.
The Third-World countries don't have MONEY for 2nd and 3rd trick Weather Services and Private Weather Services are prohibited by the State Owned and Operated IMN (Instituto Meteorologico Nacional).
So I am making a statement in freedom of Internet usage for our USA and Canadian Visitors, using Disaster Prevention as my justification.
Same fight as you are fighting, but with a specific topic.
Thanks for your time, Angela.
MAX HARTMAN
http://caribbean-costaricans.blogspot.com
http://panamaniancostaricans.blogspot.com
Hey man, why do you speak of net nuetrality in technoterms? Your whole blog can not be understood by anyone except insiders. Or is that the point?
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Here is a broadband beginners guide and below are common broad band questions;
>What is Broadband?
>Types of Connections?
>Connection speeds and download limits
>How to compare ISP’s
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