Transcript Slide 1

LITA President’s Program
ALA Annual Conference — June 2011
Bob Bocher
WI State Library
Fellow, ALA Office for Information Technology Policy
608-266-2127, [email protected]
(dpi.wi.gov/pld/litabb.ppt)
Topics to Cover
1.
2.
3.
4.
The U.S. broadband (BB) landscape
The National Broadband Plan (NBP)
The library broadband landscape
Addressing library broadband issues
The issue is no longer Internet access but improving
the quality of access as the demands of the medium
and patrons grow rapidly.
—OITP Broadband Connectivity Report (2007)
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The U.S. Broadband Landscape
Household BB access 66%, but varies
 Address BB access via marketplace

 More BB based on more competition, which is driven
by less regulation
• 2002-05 FCC deregulates BB, raises Net Neutrality issue

U.S. one of few developed nations with no BB plan


Plan mandated in ARRA
Other ARRA broadband programs
 Infrastructure (BTOP)
We need to develop a broadband
strategy just like every other
industrialized nation.
—FCC Commissioner Michael
Copps, 2005.
 Mapping
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NBP: Key Long-term Goals
(released March 2010, http://www.broadband.gov)
1: Every American should have affordable
access to robust broadband and at least 100
million homes have access to 100Mbps or more.
2: Community anchor institutions (CAI) should
have affordable access to at least 1Gbps.
Using its regulatory authority, the FCC is initiating over 60
actions to implement the NBP goals and recommendations.
“This isn’t just about faster Internet. It’s about connecting every part of America
to the digital age.“ –President Obama, State of the Union Address, Jan. 2011
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NBP: Several Key FCC
Actions/Recommendations
E-rate reform: Allow fiber by any entity (Sept 2010)
 High Cost reform: Transition to new Connect America
Fund for broadband (open docket)

 $4.6 billion
annually now supports voice telephony
• With BB, voice just another service – VoIP
 ALA: Use CAF for libraries too*

Create national coordinating entity, the “U.S. Unified
Community Anchor Network” (U.S. UCAN)
 Recommendation
from Internet2
*ALA comments at http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7021239757
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Public Library Broadband Landscape*
65% offer the only free Net access in their
communities
 86% offer wireless access (29% in 2005)
 91% offer jobs-related databases
 99% offer periodical and reference databases

But…
Libraries find the BB landscape confusing
 Bandwidth increases are not meeting demand

* Data from ALA Libraries and the Internet surveys at http://www.plinternetsurvey.org/?q=node/13
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2010 Public Library Broadband Stats
Rather than spelling the
demise of public libraries,
the Internet holds new
service opportunities.
-- Public Libraries and the
Internet rpt. , 1994 .
We have a 3Mbps connection but
at 4pm it is so slow it’s like being
on dial-up. -Comment from ALA
Technology Access Study
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Addressing Library Broadband:
BTOP Grants
61 grants will increase bandwidth to 2,381 libraries
 Internet2 awarded $62 million

 Augment
national backbone; add 11,800 miles of new
fiber and upgrade 10,000 miles of existing fiber
 Create U.S. Unified Community Anchor Network (U.S. UCAN)
• National: Use I2 network infrastructure
• State/local: Use R&E network infrastructure
Give a non-profit institution the mission and
capability to focus on the broadband needs
of public institutions. --NPB, Chapter 8.
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Addressing Library Broadband:
U.S. UCAN
Some R&E networks already serve libraries, schools, etc.
 Leverage expertise of R&E networks

 High quality
bandwidth
 Network engineering and IT support
 Procurement and contracts

U.S. UCAN challenges
 Connect
150,000 CAI?
• 66,000 connected now
 Economic
issues
Expanding the R&E network
model to other anchor
institutions will offer
tremendous benefits. Many
CAI lack resources to
undertake the many tasks
necessary to maximize their
utilization of broadband.
--NPB, Chapter 8.
• Task Force report out for comment
 Last mile issues
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Addressing Library Broadband:
OITP Activities

Advocacy:
 OITP files comments with
the FCC, visits FCC
staff, NTIA, etc.
 OGR tracks Congressional action, makes Hill visits

Collaboration:
 Works with many groups, (SHLB Coalition,
Gates Foundation, Internet2, etc.)

Education:
 Workshops,
news releases, conference
programs, publications
* See OITP website: http://www.ala.org/oitp
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In Summary: Addressing Library Broadband
NBP recognizes library and other CAI broadband needs
 FCC reform of E-rate and High Cost programs
 Encourage cooperative initiatives, like the U.S. UCAN
 Need strong advocates, like ALA/OITP

Q&A from an OITP focus group on broadband.
Q:
A:
A:
A:
A:
What is sufficient broadband?
As much as you can afford.
More than we have.
It’s based on the number of irritated patrons.
When you click, it happens.
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LITA President’s Program
ALA Annual Conference — June 2011
Bob Bocher
WI State Library
Fellow, ALA Office for Information Technology Policy
608-266-2127, [email protected]
(dpi.wi.gov/pld/litabb.ppt)
Have Residential Broadband
90.0%
80.0%
We need a national goal for
universal ,affordable access
to broadband by 2007.
—President Bush, 2004.
84.2%
82.4%
BA degree
>$50,000
income
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
51.4%
40.0%
47.2%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
HS diploma
Return
<$50,000
income
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State R&E Networks and Libraries*
There are 38 state R&E
networks and 22 serve at
least some libraries. See
the Gates Foundation
report Connections,
Capacity, Community… for
more details.
Return
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