Highlights from the APT Webcast on State Broadband Efforts

Kudos keep coming in to APT for Monday’s webcast on “State Efforts to Expand Broadband Access.” You can still catch the program at http://www.nga.org/webcast and coverage of the event by Communications Daily can be found here. It was based on APT’s recently released state report and NGA’s issue brief and featured:

• An overview of state initiatives from Erin Lee of NGA’s Center for Best Practices;
• A broadband policy overview from APT President Kenneth R. Peres;
• The Connected Tennessee program and its strategies for broadband deployment and adoption with Director Michael Ramage; and
• Virginia’s broadband deployment strategy with Karen Jackson, Director of the Commonwealth’s Telework Promotion and Broadband Assistance program.

There was general agreement on the following points:

• Economic Benefits - A comprehensive broadband strategy will address the current economic crises by stimulating investment, jobs and output. It can address short term and long term economic recovery and growth particularly in rural areas, and speed the transformation of our economy for the long run benefit of everyone. In the short term it is helping the economy. In the long term, applications in areas such as health care and education are saving money.
  
  
• Current Status - Broadband applications are improving our quality of life in many areas, but there are still gaps in access.
  
  
• State Strategies - States have taken a variety of approaches for stimulating broadband deployment and adoption, including: task forces; tax incentives; public-private partnerships; state networks; and grants. A comprehensive approach works best.
  
  
• There are 5 basic elements to a comprehensive strategy:
  • Assessment of where broadband is available and where it is not through data collection and mapping;
  • Establishment of goals and benchmarks to determine where we should be and measure success;
  • Adoption of policies to create incentives for stimulating investment and access;
  • Establishment of policies to stimulate broadband adoption and use; and
  • Implementation by a lead agency with assessment and review for accountability and ongoing recommendations.
• Funding is needed for the Broadband Data Collection Act (S.1492) which addresses these elements and will give other states the ability to implement programs.
  
  
• Adoption is as important as deployment. Education is needed on the value of broadband technology and programs to provide hardware for low-income households.