SHLB Plan Seeks Gigabit Anchor Institutions by 2020; FCC All in, Sohn Says
Community anchor institutions require next-generation Internet connectivity, said the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB) Wednesday, releasing an "Action Plan" to bring "gigabit-speed-and-beyond networks" to all schools, libraries, health clinics and other anchor institutions by 2020. The group released…
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a "Vision" paper in April kicking off its effort (see 1604270022). The FCC understands the community role anchor institutions play and "is doing everything in its power" to achieve the Gbps connectivity goal by 2020, said Gigi Sohn, counselor to Chairman Tom Wheeler, in the written version of a speech she gave at an SHLB conference. She noted FCC USF subsidy actions to increase annual E-rate telecom discounts to schools and libraries to $3.9 billion, to extend Lifeline low-income support to broadband service, and to provide billions of dollars to support broadband to more than 11 million Americans in high-cost rural areas. She said requests for the USF rural healthcare program have "exploded," with demand this year expected to top $350 million, up from just over $250 million in recent years. "Anchor institutions are not just a key part of the solution to the broadband availability challenge, you are also key to the adoption challenge," Sohn said. She said many Kansas City area residents wouldn't accept free gigabit connectivity from Google Fiber because of a lack of trust: "This is where community anchor institutions come in. Successful broadband adoption programs come from the bottom up, not the top down. You are trusted members of the community who know how best to serve residents." Sohn asked the audience to help the FCC develop a digital inclusion plan to better understand non-price barriers to broadband adoption. The SHLB Action Plan includes 10 policy papers making recommendations on various issues such as broadband needs, Wi-Fi and wireless networking, broadband subsidies and broadband adoption. "The papers share three common themes: Sharing, such as aggregation and public-private partnerships that eliminate silos and reduce costs; promoting competition to incentivize growth and bring more affordable options; and, funding strategies that help communities meet up-front build-out and deployment costs, and ongoing monthly fees," a release said. The competition paper recommends requiring Connect America Fund recipients to bid on requests for proposed E-rate funding, limiting special access prices and upholding "open access and interconnection" policies.