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Bringing Broadband to the Unserved – Recordings Now Available!

Here Be Dragons:
Bringing Broadband to the Unserved – Recordings Now Available!

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September 9, 2009

When navigators of the Age of Exploration mapped unexplored and unknown lands, they signified the limits of their reach with the notation, “Here Be Dragons.” Today’s broadband maps share this “end of the world” feeling; despite virtually universal acceptance of the concept that broadband connectivity is essential to full participation and success in the modern world, broadband service remains a phantom for tribal lands, rural communities, and inner-city neighborhoods.

Full deployment of broadband facilities is an imperative, the new administration asserts. Unveiling the NTIA/RUS broadband stimulus package, Vice President Biden trumpeted “President Obama's vision of a nationwide 21st-century communications infrastructure--one that encourages economic growth, enhances America's global competitiveness and helps address many of America's most pressing challenges." But the unserved are naturally skeptical. For these perennial last-milers, geographic, economic, and governmental obstacles have long delayed broadband participation. How the new broadband initiatives--the Recovery Act programs and beyond--will overcome past impediments is a recurrent, familiar, frustrating, and increasingly urgent problem.

This Pike & Fischer recording features expert spokespersons for the interests of tribal, rural, and inner-city communities. Learning from the past and looking to the future, explore the potential benefits--for citizens, the telecommunications industry, and the nation--of full inclusion through broadband deployment to unserved areas, and the likely consequences of further inaction.

What Was Covered:

The nature of the markets
Past and current deployment efforts and policies
Opportunities presented by new technologies
The role of the state and federal governments
Incentives to service providers
International repercussions; effects on the nation’s broadband standing
Regulatory initiatives by agencies

Who Attended:

Broadband service providers
Telecommunications attorneys
Regulatory officials
Consulting firms
Academics
Utilities and their regulators
Internet content providers
State and local government representatives
Tribal telecommunications managers

About the Speakers:

Eric Jensen, Policy Counsel, National Tribal Telecommunications Association (NTTA) - Mr. Jensen is responsible for advising the Association’s president and drafting comments in state and federal agency rulemaking proceedings on behalf of the Association’s eight constituent tribal telecommunications authorities. The purpose of NTTA is to provide a forum for tribally owned companies and those who work in the telecommunications industry, to share knowledge and opportunities, discuss effects of regulation and address issues affecting tribal telcos and customers on tribal lands.

Karen Archer Perry, Director of Community Outreach & Programs, Knight Center of Digital Excellence - Ms. Perry is working within the 26 Knight communities to assess needs and opportunities, build community partnerships, and create and implement innovative programs that increase the availability and applicability of broadband services and other technology. Prior to joining the Knight Center, Karen founded Karacomm LLC, a consulting practice that worked with cities and corporations throughout the United States to assess needs and shape community digital inclusion programs to address them, and worked for the AT&T, Lucent Technologies and Bell Labs family of companies for 25 years in software, network management, applications, sales and business development.

Randy Sukow, Business Research & Analysis Manager, National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative - The NRTC represents the advanced telecommunications and information technology interests of more than 1,400 rural utilities and affiliates in 48 states. Founded in 1986 by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC), NRTC helps rural electric and telephone utilities strengthen their businesses with solutions uniquely suited to the needs of rural consumers.

Purchase Options

Here Be Dragons: Bringing Broadband to the Unserved – Recordings Now Available! Audio recording on CD-ROM -- $279