Voices Carry
Broadband Update
ISTE leads efforts to provide greater access to high-speed connectivity
By Hilary Goldmann
 ISTE has been leading efforts on broadband deployment to ensure schools have the necessary connectivity to meet the demands of today's technologies and those of tomorrow. All too often, slow Internet connections are an impediment for teachers and administrators who try to take advantage of information and communication technologies, and as a result, students are denied modern learning experiences.
In an effort to address this issue, ISTE became a founding member of the Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB). This group's objective is to improve broadband capabilities at community anchor institutions across the United States so that they can better serve the public, specifically the underserved and those without broadband access.
I was fortunate to speak at the press conference announcing the formation of the coalition last June. I affirmed that high-speed broadband networks in schools allow students to receive essential educational services and opportunities across the country, including some of the most remote areas of the United States. High-speed broadband also provides students with specialized courses, distance learning opportunities, and access to applications that can address students' learning needs. As the world becomes more interconnected, the availability of this connectivity will become an even more important resource in preparing our children for the 21st century. Accordingly, ISTE believes that the SHLB Coalition's plan to provide high-speed in every school will not only create new opportunities for the U.S. educational system, but will also equip our students with the necessary skills for the jobs of tomorrow.
The coalition put forth a set of principles that it believes are necessary to promote broadband in the United States, including the idea that federal policy should be amended to encourage the deployment of high-capacity broadband networks that can provide a minimum of 100 Mbps to small entities and 1 Gbps or more to larger entities.
ISTE also led efforts by the Education and Library Networks Coalition (EdLiNC) to draft a response to an FCC Notice of Inquiry focused on national broadband. The EdLiNC comments suggested that a few key changes to E-Rate could further enhance its success in stimulating broadband penetration, including:
- Raising E-Rate's $2.25 billion annual cap, as demand routinely exceeds that level and few schools will likely be able to receive internal connections support in coming years without an increase
- Changing the cost-allocation requirements of the E-Rate program to permit the use of E-Rate-supported services by the community during nonschool hours
- Enacting a permanent exemption to the Anti-deficiency Act, thereby preventing E-Rate funding disruptions such as the one that occurred in 2004
EdLiNC also urged the FCC to collect broadband data that measure more than just bandwidth levels to buildings but also reflect broadband capacity down to the level of individual classroom users.
Hilary Goldmann, ISTE's director of government affairs, has 20 years of experience in public policy and advocacy and serves as a volunteer columnist for L&L.
Copyright © 2009, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), 1.800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 1.541.302.3777 (Int’l), iste@iste.org, www.iste.org. All rights reserved.
September/October 2009 | Learning & Leading with Technology
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