National Broadband
Plan!
By Rebecca Ridenour
This blog has previously discussed the need for the
government to aid institutions currently providing internet access to the
public, because most government documents and forms are now on the internet and libraries provide much needed access to this information. Not all libraries have a big enough budget to support the demands of patrons who need to access the internet. (National
Information Policies are important, but useless if people are unable to access
the information in the first place.)
There is hope on this front. The Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) has been developing The National Broadband Plan (NBP) over the
past few years. This plan encompasses making broadband access available for
remote parts of the country that rely on costly and inferior connections like satellite
and dial up. The NBP will also be assisting Public Computing Centers ((PCC) this especially includes libraries) in
providing computer access to the public. (Jayakar & Park, 2012)
While the plan is mostly adressing a much needed infrastructure
upgrade, grant money for Library computers will be made available through the
Institute of Museum and Library Services. The NBP will also be setting up
tutorials and information for libraries to assist patrons using online government
resources. ([FCC], 2010)
[FCC], F. C. C. (2010). Connecting
America: The national broadband plan.
Washington, D.C.: Retrieved from http://download.broadband.gov/plan/national-broadband-plan.pdf.
THe NBP is great news for libraries. Internet access is one of the most used public library services, it is taken advantage of by nearly half of all visitors. (Becker, 2010) Without it many people cannot find jobs, do research, take advantage of social networks and are excluded from government resources. The NBP is an important way for communities hoping to extend broadband access to their residents.
ReplyDeletePublic libraries are an important resource for residents who lack access and for those who may already have access but want the quiet atmosphere or additional services libraries provide. (Becker,2010)
Becker,S, M. D Crandall, K.E Fisher, B Kinney, C Landry, and A Rocha, 2010. Opportunity for All
How the American Public Benefits
from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries, Institute for Museum and Library Sciences retrieved from http://www.imls.gov/assets/1/AssetManager/OpportunityForAll.pdf.
I had no idea about this initiative so thank you so much for choosing it as your topic and sharing it with us. This is a very exciting plan as many Americans live in more rural areas with no access to broadband from home. I live in a small rural town and less than one mile away from town there is no broadband access. This has the potential of affecting many Americans in a very positive way not only just getting them the broadband, but possibly by putting people back to work in order to make this happen.
ReplyDeleteI like that this initiative recognizes how important information is to the democratic process. On the website you gave us for more information, there is a section called Civic Engagement found here: http://www.broadband.gov/issues/civic-engagement.html. This section is dedicated to the importance of getting information to the citizens, so they can make informed decisions and be a part of the democratic process even registering to vote online or making sure service men and women are able to vote while overseas. I'm really intrigued with the government's plan to create a "21st century digital national archive". With this plan, there is a tiny mention of "narrowly targeting updates to copyright laws to expand educational use of content". This would open up so much more information to citizens that may not have been as available in the past. They also want to store government "digital video materials" on a video.gov domain, but also open that domain up to the public allowing anyone to contribute. This is an excellent idea and would be great resource for libraries nationwide.
Ann Arbor Michigan was a candidate for a derivative of the NRB grant in association with Google and the city is a perfect hotspot of vibrant intellectual, social, and political activity. While Ann Arbor is not necessarily in want of broadband access for the same reasons as a small rural county with dispersed population and dial-up internet, or homes without computers entirely, the NRB underlines how valuable it is to to support movers, shakers and early adopters to remain at the forefront of research, education and culture, and the public policy the supports it.
ReplyDeleteAnn Arbor Fiber-Amplify Your World retrieved from http://www.a2fiber.com/
I'm glad you all liked my topic. I love it when I can share a little good news. Especially these days when so much of it is bad.
ReplyDeleteKathy; Thank you for saying the obvious. I really should have mentioned that. I used to work as a tech page at RHPL and it was my job to assist patrons with the public PCs. I know first hand how important this service is to patrons. Especially during the recession many people would spend all day searching for jobs. Others needed help getting emails for the first time and some people didn't know even how to use a mouse. Libraries provide access to the internet, but they also provide a safe place for people who might need someone to be there for them when they get stuck. I am glad that NBP recognized this by including libraries in their plan.
I'm not certain if this falls under the NBP, but I also know that the FCC required Comcast to provide, "...offer broadband services to low-income Americans at reduced monthly prices; and provide high-speed broadband to schools, libraries and underserved communities, among other public benefits," as a result of the approved merger between Comcast and NBC. Maybe we're paying for it through a few extra dollars on our cable bills, but I like the idea that the merger was required to do some good for those who have less than I.
ReplyDeletehttp://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-304134A1.pdf