Strategy for Rural American Broadband Released
FCC report provides starting point for broadband plan.
Compiled by staff
Published: May 27, 2009
Acting Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Copps released a report Wednesday describing a rural broadband strategy to deliver broadband to rural areas and restore economic growth and opportunity for Americans residing and working in those areas. The report, which Congress required in the 2008 Farm Bill, identifies common problems affecting rural broadband, including technological challenges, lack of data, and high network costs, and offers some recommendations to address those problems.
According to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, "Providing broadband access to rural communities will not only enhance farmers and ranchers' ability to market goods and enhance production, it will help residents in rural communities obtain needed medical care, gain access to higher education, and benefit from resulting economic activity and job growth."
Among the recommendations in the report are enhancing coordination among and between federal, Tribal, state, and community agencies, governments and organizations; reviewing existing federal programs to identify barriers to rural broadband deployment; and coordinating broadband program terminology consistent with current laws.
"I view this report as a prelude to, and building block for, the national broadband plan, which will address in greater detail and on a vastly more complete record, the input of all stakeholders and the steps the nation must take to achieve its broadband goals," Copps said in the report. "Although the national plan will be broader in scope and will focus on bringing broadband to all Americans regardless of where they live, the Rural Broadband report released today provides another, critical step in the Commission's efforts to develop an effective, efficient and achievable national broadband plan."
The report can be found on the Commission's website at http://wireless.fcc.gov/outreach/ruralbroadband.
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