Universal Broadband

How close are we to achieving the goal of universal broadband? FCC chairman Julius Genachowski discussed the agency's ambitious goals at the Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas last week.

Broadly, Genachowski did note that the FCC has been ordred to look into ways to promote universal access to broadband. That means making sure broadband infrastructure reaches everywhere in the country. But the government also needs to address the 30 percent of the populace that has access to broadband infrastructure but chooses not to use it, either due to unaffordable costs or other issues.

On broader broadband service, Genachowski said the commission has held more than 50 public hearings and workshops on a plan to promote universal, or "ubiquitous," access. It's an important effort, he said, because job openings these days often appear only online, and many of those jobs require some digital know-how.

"If we graduate students who don't have basic digital skills, we're not preparing them for our economy," Genachowski said. "In the 21st century, the concept of literacy needs to be extended to digital literacy so that our kids know how to participate in the new economy."

This effort is important to the economy — not just according to Genachowski, but also to Gary Shapiro, chief executive and president of the Consumer Electronics Association. Many of the demonstrators at CES are counting on growing broadband adoption to fuel demand for their products, so in a sense, they’re counting on Genachowski to succeed, Shapiro noted.

Securing broadband service for all Americans would carry three benefits, Genachowski said. It would serve as an economic engine to drive innovation and productivity gains. It would yield a "bucket of societal opportunities" to promote "common goals" involving education, health care, energy and public safety. And it would foster civic engagement in a "21st century democracy," he said.

Take the opportunity to visit the site launched by the FCC as a way to engage citizen participation in revamping the Commission.