Favor Consumers, Not Providers, in Broadband Policy, Detroit Official Director Asks of FCC
The FCC should tackle asymmetrical broadband in policy on the digital divide, Detroit Digital Inclusion Director Joshua Edmonds told Commissioner Geoffrey Starks during a webinar Thursday. Setting the standard at 25/3 Mbps prioritizes providers, Edmonds said: "Let's prioritize the consumer."…
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Starks said 60% of Detroit schoolchildren lack access to broadband. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-Mich., said some single mothers can't afford broadband even with two jobs. Addressing the homework gap is an issue that binds urban, suburban and rural lawmakers, said Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich. With insufficient federal support, Detroit "had to take on the role of fundraiser" through public/private partnerships, Edmonds said. He said the city is a microcosm of digital inequity found nationally, and if it can be solved with additional help from state and federal government, "it's a replicable model." Put broadband at the top of any infrastructure stimulus plan, said Angela Siefer, National Digital Inclusion Alliance executive director.