First Comment Document Executive Summary
FirstMile.US Comments to NTIA/RUS on ARRA Funding
Docket Number 090309298-9299-01
Read the full set of comments in an PDF version.
Executive Summary
FirstMile.US believes the intelligent use of the NTIA/RUS ARRA funding is to utilize it as a pilot program for deployment of much higher speed broadband services, ubiquitously, in the United States. As the U.S. continues to struggle to catch up to other industrialized nations, we believe a holistic view of broadband and the associated deployment outcomes that our nation deserves are the right underpinnings for NTIA and RUS funds -- providing the philosophical and practical vision necessary for spending the money intelligently.We believe there are three desired overarching outcomes for the funds. They are:
1. Increased broadband adoption in every community, every household, and every business.
2. Enablement of affordable, ubiquitous broadband solutions that meet the country’s ‘grand challenges’ -- healthcare, public safety, education, civic participation, energy independence/efficiency, and economic growth.
3. Facilitating local, state and federal understanding of the importance of broadband especially
* Identification of areas where public resources are needed to provide universal service
* Understanding federal, state, and local policies required to build sustainable self-sufficient broadband-enabled communities.During the last 25 years, the main tenets of Internet development included building and sustaining an open, interoperable, scalable network of networks that robustly supports a variety of applications and devices. As we look forward to a ubiquitous big broadband environment, these basic philosophies still hold true. In order to ensure these sustaining principles, FirstMile.US espouses a new ideology moving from “last mile” supplier-centric networks to “first mile” user-centric networks.
We believe open networks/infrastructure are the solution that enables user innovation on the widest possible scale. We believe that the recent Australian government broadband program is what the U.S. should be striving towards. NTIA and RUS should not be funding “last century” broadband installations with all of the opportunities that could be enabled with the ARRA funds. We should all work together to delve into new solutions, new technologies, new social engagement that enable user-centric broadband deployment and unrivaled opportunities for innovation, jobs and economic development.
Our specific recommendations for the NTIA and RUS grant/loan programs are focused on our vision of a ubiquitous, user-centric broadband system – one that enables innovation from all sectors. We believe these recommendations can produce a set of pilot projects throughout the country that can be studied and replicated. The recommendations are:
1. Clarification of the nationwide definition for unserved and underserved is urgent.
2. A definition for unserved and underserved definition for communities with no/low access to broadband is needed.
3. A definition for unserved and underserved definition for high population urban communities with low adoption of broadband is needed.
4. Definition and characterization of public-good “grand challenge” applications are required.
5. Strong interagency coordination to support the nation’s grand challenges is required.
6. NTIA and RUS should maximize the opportunity to create new broadband access through middle mile and community connection points
7. Replicable programs that create new adoption, workforce development and new applications are necessary.
8. Mapping
* Verifiable, reliable data sources must be utilized
* Grand challenge institutions should be mapped.
* Standardized GIS schema must be created at a national level.
* The mapping must include more data than the combined upload/download speeds.
* Broadband services should be mapped.
* The factors that affect adoption should be mapped.
* The federal government, state institutions, tribal governments and local leaders should work together to determine the variety of geographical areas needed to understand the true nature of broadband deployment.
* All federally-owned, state-owned and tribal-owned lands and buildings should be mapped.
Read the full set of comments in a PDF version.