Broadband in Public Housing (4.00 / 1)

Hello, my name is Waldo McMillan and I am Vice President and General Counsel of One Economy Corporation.  One Economy is a global nonprofit organization that uses innovative approaches to deliver the power of technology and information to low-income people, giving them valuable tools for building better lives.  We help bring broadband into the homes of low-income people, employ youth to train their community members to use technology effectively, and provide socially responsible media properties that offer a wealth of information on education, jobs, health care and other vital issues.  Our mission is to maximize the potential of technology to help low-income people improve their lives and enter the economic mainstream.  To learn more about our work, please visit us at www.one-economy.com.

Before offering a specific public policy proposal, I would first like to thank Senator Durbin for using the internet in an innovative and groundbreaking way to bring the real work of Congress to the American people.  Formulating a national broadband strategy that brings the benefits of high speed internet to all Americans regardless of income or place is the most important issue facing todayâ??s technology and telecommunications landscape.  At One Economy, we believe that providing everyone with affordable access to broadband is very possible, and we are confident that if the federal government takes some intentional and immediate steps towards this end, broadband can be made available to all by the end of 2009.

One immediate step Congress should take to put us on the path towards ubiquitous broadband access by 2009 is enacting One Economyâ??s â??Broadband in Public Housingâ?? initiative.  This initiative would ensure that all new and redeveloped public housing units are wired for high speed internet access, and it would specifically require the Department of Housing and Urban Development to:

â?¢ Mandate the inclusion of infrastructure that permits unit-based access to high-speed Internet connectivity in all new public housing units and public housing redevelopment projects;

â?¢ Promote and permit the retrofitting in public housing developments with infrastructure that allows for high-speed Internet connectivity under public housing development and modernization programs, including the Capital Fund; and

â?¢ Promote and permit the provision of high-speed Internet service as an allowable public housing operating expense.

This simple yet effective change in our public housing laws is doable, and it will undoubtedly help low-income people achieve economic self-sufficiency and put them well on their way to truly achieving the American Dream.

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by: Waldo McMillan @ Fri Jul 27, 2007 at 19:33:30 PM UTC

Wonderful idea (0.00 / 0)

This is an example where relatively small investments can go a long way.  Certainly, any public housing built from here on out should have fiber going to all of the units.  This will make it much easier and cheaper to give the people that live there modern, Japan-speed access.

This is an area where Congress can do a lot of good immediately, just by forcing some rule changes.

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by: mbayrob @ Fri Jul 27, 2007 at 22:48:20 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I agree. (0.00 / 0)

I would go further to try and make contiguous public housing wired together with 100bps Ethernet cables.


I blog on InnermostParts.org

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by: Sayhar @ Sat Jul 28, 2007 at 02:19:24 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

John W's proposal is a good starting point (0.00 / 0)

Senator,
What do you think of John Windhausen's proposal?  He suggests a separate program from the USF vs. expanding it and refocusing it more on broadband. My sense is that the USF has so many deeply entrenched interests, uneconomic flows of money and subsidies for copper plant, that a next-generation broadband agenda would be seriously impeded if it had to be integrated with the USF. 

I also wonder what you think of John's suggestion for a $10 billion annual fund.  Do you think that number is doable politically?  As I noted in a comment on John's post, $10 bil. a year for five years could fund roughly 20% of a nationwide deployment of a future-proof fiber optic network.

It also seems important to require that any company receiving federal subsidies commit to the four open-access provisions supported by many for the 700 MHz band, including a strictly wholesale model to make sure we avoid the current problems we face with incumbent pipe owners.

I've also got concerns about allowing incumbents to be eligible for the subsidies, though it could be beneficial to get them involved.  I talked a little more about that in my response to John's post.

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by: mitchipd @ Fri Jul 27, 2007 at 20:12:05 PM UTC

Yes! (0.00 / 0)

"It also seems important to require that any company receiving federal subsidies commit to the four open-access provisions supported by many for the 700 MHz band, including a strictly wholesale model to make sure we avoid the current problems we face with incumbent pipe owners."

Yes please.
Great idea.

I blog on InnermostParts.org

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by: Sayhar @ Sat Jul 28, 2007 at 02:20:14 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

for lurkers, links referenced in video (4.00 / 1)

Connect the Nation Act bill text.

2006  GAO broadband deployment, obstacles report.

Universal Service Fund general info.

Overview article on Senate Commerce committee 06/07 hearing and USF reform issues.

my 2 cents:  do not define the USF by technologies but by functionalities so it is extensible as new innovations develop.


NoSlaves.com  


The Economic Populist

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by: Robert Oak @ Fri Jul 27, 2007 at 20:15:05 PM UTC

Tax Payer Fund the instalation Of Fiber Optic Cable. (0.00 / 0)

We could have a program where federal tax Dollars where used to provide fiber Optic cable network to every home in America. that would mean we would Own the highway, so to speak, there is your net nutrality. local Government would offer a Contract to Provide internet Access, and maintance to the system.

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by: Lee S Davis @ Sat Jul 28, 2007 at 20:32:37 PM UTC

"I think it's time to think big about these issues. " (0.00 / 0)

Senator Durbin,

I'm writing to you from Illinois District 10. I appreciate your initiative on this issue, your Connect America Act and the messages in your videos.

The progressive blogosphere saved this country last fall so we really need your help to continue open access for all. This country will fall into Republican hands again without open access.

Fiber optic networks are cheapest and fastest. Japan, Sweden, Korea and Finland already offer these 100 megabytes per second. If they can do it, so can we. It's cheaper, faster and we can afford universal access.

Banned for posting five straight diaries.

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by: donna darko @ Sun Jul 29, 2007 at 01:09:05 AM UTC