We’ve expounded upon our comments to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Notice of Inquiry (NOI) for the development of a National Broadband Plan. In our submission we further discussed the need for high-speed Internet adoption in underserved urban areas and the deepened digital divide that would stem from increased regulation on wireless service providers. 

Many were encouraged by the recent data from the Pew Center showing the growth in broadband adoption even among lower-income Americans despite the current recession.   Unfortunately, lower-income Americans were far more likely than the more affluent to cut back or eliminate broadband because of economic pressure.

To create an adoption-friendly environment, policymakers must remain vigilant against forces, including misguided legislation and regulation, that may unintentionally make broadband less affordable and force the last to join the broadband generation to become the first that are forced to drop off.  Legislative proposals that claim to help consumers by limiting the business practices of wireless service providers, could eliminate carriers’ handset subsidies that bring advanced mobile technology to all levels of society—especially lower income Americans.  One way to address this is for the FCC to consider requiring “a broadband impact” statement for proposed legislation and regulation related to telecommunications policy and business strategies.

Policies can only open barriers to adoption, not show consumers the benefits of broadband Internet technology.  Unfortunately, a significant numbers of Americans say they do not see the value of broadband and have no interest in subscribing to high-speed Internet.  We’ll continue to advocate for digital literacy and IT skill programs to promote adoption.  Increasing the availability of life-enhancing services such as telemedicine and distance learning as well as the expansion of telework options also increase the value of broadband and spur adoption.
 
We will also continue to step up our own efforts to better understand the nature of the digital divide challenge and working through our community-based networks to determine whether we can identify new developments or specific barriers that must be addressed in a targeted way as part of the national broadband strategy.

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