FCC Digital Inclusion Summit - Music to My Ears

OK so I stole the line from FCC Commissioner Copps who said during today's America's Digital Inclusion Summit that a focus on digital inclusion was "music to his ears".    But don't you all feel the same way? We've been wandering in the desert of the lack of federal leadership on addressing the digital divide for almost a decade, and finally we have folks in Washington talking about it-- well not just talking, but proposing real solutions. Music to my ears!  At today's Summit the FCC revealed key components of the Broadband Plan it will deliver to Congress next week.  The recommendations released today focus on increasing adoption among undersered communities, including:

• Reforming the Universal Service Lifeline and Link up programs to cover broadband services
• Creating a national Digital Literacy Corps
• Building capacity at libriaries and community based organizations to improve digital literacy

ZeroDivide was one of 8 organizations selected to showcase our digital inclusion efforts.  Brian and former ZD'er Karen Hanson manned our booth on the ZeroDivide Digital Storytelling Initiative.

Speakers at the conference emphasized the many barriers to adoption for various communities -- low-income, communities of color, seniors, rural and urban residents -- and sited key examples of how broadband has improved economic, education, health outcomes in these communities.

Wow, for the first time in alomst a decade we have a chance for some federal action that will result in true digital inclusion for everyone.  Let's keep the momentum going.  Look for the release of the final FCC recommendations on March 17th!