US Broadband Coalition Releases Report on National Broadband Plan

A national broadband strategy must take steps to stimulate adoption and use of technology at a variety of levels, said a report by the U.S. Broadband Coalition, which presented the report at the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday. The coalition, a non-profit organization made up of more than 160 organizations that provide or depend on broadband services, came together to push for a national broadband plan in mid-2008. The release of the group's report is the culmination of 18 months of work that predates the passage of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act when the coalition issued a "call to action" to organize and create a national broadband strategy. Bridging the "digital divide" is a major barrier to universal broadband within the U.S., the report said. Among the issues affecting adoption include a lack of relevance to many communities, difficulty accessing training and technology literacy programs, and a dearth of affordable options for access to computers. Further, people with disabilities "often experience barriers of physical accessibility" to high speed Internet as well as computing technology in general.