SHLB Coalition Meeting Emphasizes Broadband Strategies, NTIA BTOP Toolkit

"Our projects reached only a small percentage of the nation’s households, but we want the lessons learned to be available to everyone,” said NTIA Administrator Larry Strickling in a keynote. “And we hope that as the grant program winds down, this toolkit will serve as a legacy and foundation for others to build on as they continue this vital digital inclusion effort.” He called the toolkit “a handy reference manual that includes clear and sensible guidance on outreach, discount offerings, program planning, training and curriculum.” He emphasized the benefits of the program thus far and said the document “contains many practical ideas and tips for bringing all sorts of people online -- from senior citizens who may never have touched a mouse before, to migrant workers who might not even speak English.” The toolkit’s purpose is “to share the expert knowledge and experience of the broadband adoption and computer training projects with a broader base of anchor institutions, government agencies, non-profits and others engaged in this effort,” he said.

The toolkit collected its lessons from close to 40 BTOP projects, NTIA said. Grantees will be asked to contribute relevant toolkit information during their grant closeout process, Strickling said. The document’s messages included tying digital literacy programs to relevant life skills, encouraging partnerships with organizations that people trust, ensuring that any opportunities for broadband training or public access are convenient, and making sure there are affordable ways for people to buy computers or broadband service. The document also can help project leaders “develop an engaging messaging campaign,” Strickling said.

"In today’s economy, the Internet is a necessity, not a luxury,” said Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., in a video message to attendees. “It is imperative our nation close this economic, digital divide.” BTOP “laid the foundation for advancing our Internet economy” and community anchor institutions can help “fill that gap” that remains, she said. Matsui said she’s pleased the NTIA collected “practical, field-tested ideas” in the toolkit. “The toolkit is very consistent with several recommendations of the [National] Broadband Plan,” said John Horrigan, director of the Media and Technology Institute at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. The toolkit will help people “really develop a narrative of how to sustain these programs going forward” and will be useful so “decision makers can understand the importance,” he said. Benton Foundation Executive Director Cecilia Garcia called the toolkit “a most welcome resource,” in a statement.

State officials shared their strategies in panel discussions. NTIA’s funding went to support many capacity-building activities in the states, said NTIA Program Specialist Anne Neville. These activities have differed significantly by state but have the same goal of developing a strategy for the states to compete and take advantage of the digital economy, she said.

Recent developments like FirstNet and the FCC’s Gigabit City Challenge may influence local and state activities, said Stuart Freiman, broadband program manager at Rhode Island Economic Development Corp. “Our states are going to look at it and say they don’t want to be left behind,” he said of the rise of communities with broadband speeds of 1 Gbps or more (CD May 2 p7). “I think infrastructure will become a topic of conversation again.” FirstNet will provide plenty of opportunity for crossover in government agencies, he said. Public safety has been “insular” and “maybe the public safety communities don’t even know about the broadband mapping and planning process,” he said. Freiman said he plans to make it “incumbent upon myself to insert myself into that process” and make any data available.

Broadband adoption remains a struggle throughout the states, said panelists from Texas, Arkansas and Pennsylvania. BTOP funds helped kickstart some of the digital divide focus and put libraries “in the lead,” said Denise Hendlmyer, BTOP grant coordinator at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. “The idea of what libraries can do and should do is changing,” she said, describing efforts to train librarians to accommodate new roles. Rural residents don’t always trust outsiders, some panelists said. “There’s no way I could build that trust with each of those areas,” said David Moore, director of the Louisiana Broadband Initiative, of the different regions of his state. So his initiative partnered with groups that “already had that trust built,” he said. The Louisiana State University Agriculture Center, one such partner, had offices in each of the 64 parishes, had been there for years and knew mayors, farmers and citizens, which was helpful, he said. The goal hasn’t been on sustainability as much as publicizing successes, he said. Some Arkansans are also less likely to trust those coming from Little Rock, noted Connect Arkansas Chief Operating Officer Emerson Evans.

Economic challenges weigh on state officials, said Mississippi Chief Information Officer Craig Orgeron. “In these lean times, we are certainly driven to reduce operational costs.” Big priorities for CIOs include consolidation and optimization, which are closely tied to the priorities associated with budget and cost control, he added. “Disaster recovery is new to the top 10 [priorities list] for CIOs,” he said, referring to the impact of Superstorm Sandy. Cybersecurity has become “a huge, huge issue” that’s “daunting,” he said, referring to serious concern about network breaches in the states. He is on the board of the Mississippi Broadband Connection Coalition, focused on the state’s low broadband adoption rates, he said.

These anecdotes tell Congress “that the investment is really needed” in broadband, said Margaret McCarthy, aide to House Commerce Committee Ranking Member Henry Waxman, D-Calif. There’s “still a strong need for federal involvement and investment,” she said, saying universal service today includes broadband. “Getting all Americans online is a challenge that belongs to all of us,” Strickling said. “Consider this a call to action for everyone here.”