FCC Creating Digital Literacy Corp, Ponders Free/Low Cost Broadband Service

Corps would boost adoption by training people in low-adoption areas

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/9/2010 10:11:15 AM

The FCC wants to create a digital literacy corps to help boost broadband adoption by training people in low-adoption areas, which include rural and low income communities, and at the same time boost the skills of those doing the training. It also wants the government to consider using spectrum to create a free or low-cost broadband service.

Those were among the key takeaways from a Knight Commission Digital Inclusion Summit in Washington, where FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and other commissioners unveiled yet another piece of the broadband plan in what has become an ongoing road show of recommended proposals.

Driving the FCC's focus on adoption are the almost 40 million Americans that haven't adopted broadband.

The FCC will also team with the Knight Foundation on the Knight/FCC "Apps for Inclusion" Challenge, a contest that will offer cash ($100,000 from Knight Foundation) to software developers who can provide easier online access to government information, including tracking voting records. That is another element in digital inclusion, says Knight.

Alberto Ibargüen, president of the Knight Foundation, called Genachowski the foundation's "hero of the day."

Genachowski said that rural, minority, low-income, seniors, the disabled and tribal communities have fallen behind in broadband, and the cost of digital exclusion is "high and growing higher every day."

Other inclusion proposals include creating an "online skills" portal with free lessons and digital education, though of course that will require broadband availability.

The FCC will also recommend public funding for the National Telecommunications & Information Administration to support public-private partnerships for outreach and education and targeted support for senior citizens.

As the FCC said last week in talking about expanding the Universal Service Fund, another proposal for adoption by underserved communities is using its lifeline and link-up service subsidies.  Those had previously been focused on wirelines but the commission is considering using them for broadband and some spectrum for a free or low-cost broadband service.