District Dispatch

The American Library Association has bolstered its telecommunications policy team with the addition of Ellen Satterwhite. As a new Fellow of ALA’s Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP), Ellen will provide leadership, counsel and representation on the full array of telecommunications issues that affect libraries and the general public, as well as those that intersect with information policy more broadly.

Ellen is a Director at the policy communications firm Glen Echo Group, where she helps clients formulate policy positions and tell their stories within the rubric of information policy. WifiForward is one of several coalitions managed by Ellen and Glen Echo, and ALA was a founding member of the group, which advocates for abundant Wi-fi and balanced spectrum policy. As a co-author of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) National Broadband Plan, Consumer Policy Advisor to the FCC and freelance consultant, Ellen’s work has been written about in the Huffington Post, AllThingsD, CNet, Geekwire, GigaOm, and CivSource. Previously, Ellen also served as Program Director for Gig.U, supporting communities seeking gigabit speeds. She earned a master’s degree in Public Affairs from University of Texas at Austin and completed her undergraduate degree at Grinnell College. OITP Deputy Director Larra Clark will continue to contribute to our telecommunications policy work, with OITP Associate Director Marijke Visser, OITP Senior Fellow Robert Bocher, and me, working in coordination on legislative matters with Kevin Maher of ALA’s Office of Government Relations, and telecommunications counsel John Windhausen.

As part of its modernization of the Lifeline program in March, the Federal Communications Commission charged its Consumer and Government Affairs Bureau (CGB) with developing a digital inclusion plan that addresses broadband adoption issues. Sept 14 the ALA filed a letter with the Commission with recommendations for the plan. ALA called on the Commission to address non-price barriers to broadband adoption by:

1. Using its bully pulpit to increase public awareness about the need for and economic value of broadband adoption; highlight effective adoption efforts; and recognize and promote digital literacy providers like libraries to funders and state and local government authorities that can help sustain and grow efforts by these providers.
2. Expanding consumer information, outreach and education that support broadband adoption—both through the FCC’s own website and materials and by effectively leveraging aligned government (e.g., the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband Adoption Toolkit) and trusted noncommercial resources (e.g., EveryoneOn, DigitalLearn.org, Digital IQ).
3. Encouraging and guiding Eligible Telecommunications Carriers (ETCs) in the Lifeline program to support broadband adoption efforts through libraries, schools and other trusted local entities.
4. Building and strengthening collaborations with other federal agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and the Department of Education.
5. Convening diverse stakeholders (non-profit, private and government agencies, representatives from underserved communities, ISPs, and funders) to review and activate the Commission’s digital inclusion plan.
6. Regional field hearings also should be held to extend conversation and connect digital inclusion partners beyond the Beltway. There should be mechanisms for public comment and refinement of the plan (e.g., public notice or notice of inquiry).
7. Improving data gathering and research to better understand gaps and measure progress over time.
8. Exploring how the Universal Service Fund and/or merger obligations can be leveraged to address non-price barriers to broadband adoption. Sustainable funding to support and expand broadband adoption efforts and digital literacy training is a challenge

The American Library Association submitted brief comments to the Federal Communications Commission for its annual Broadband Progress Report. The Commission released a Notice of Inquiry (NOI), which it is required to do through Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, to report whether “advanced telecommunications capability is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion.” The NOI asks questions about criteria and benchmarks by which to measure connectivity in the classroom and refers back to the recent E-rate modernization proceeding. Because E-rate is the Schools and Libraries Program, our comments ask the Commission to address the oversight in not including questions regarding connectivity in libraries.

We asked the Commission to include reference to the benchmark they adopted for libraries which is a goal of 100 Mbps for those libraries serving communities of 50,000 or less and a 1 gigabit goal for those serving communities with a population of over 50,000. In addition to these broad goals we reminded the Commission that using a more granular benchmark based on the number of internet connected devices a library has can be very useful. This number would also account for patrons who bring their own devices and use those with the library’s Wi-Fi. While libraries likely need to move toward the 100 Mbps and 1 gigabit goals, a meaningful measure based on connected devices will be useful in helping a library understand and plan for the “right” amount broadband to meet the needs of their community.