Public Tech Notes

Joy Howell, director of APT's Broadband Changed My Life!^TM campaign, reached 35 communities from Boston to Spokane with her appearance on the Michael Dresser radio show. The interview focused on how broadband is leveling the playing field for seniors. Joy highlighted the ways in which broadband is enabling seniors to live independently and enhance their connections to family and communities. She also noted how the use of broadband technologies provides seniors with vital health care information and better access to specialists who may be thousands of miles away. Joy concludes, "Broadband is changing people's lives in every possible way."

Save the Date for APT Brown Bag Lunch with The Children's Partnership

Information Technology Making a Difference in Children's Lives will be the topic for the brown bag lunch on May 15th being co-sponsored by the Alliance for Public Technology and The Children's Partnership (TCP). Ken Kelly, Director of TCP's Washington Office, will be the featured speaker and copies of the new TCP publication Information Technology Making a Difference in Children's Lives: An Issue Brief for Leaders for Children as well as TCP State Fact Sheets on technology and youth will be available to everyone who attends.Another in the Broadband Changed My Life!^TM series of events, this ongoing "conversation among friends" will take place in the 10th floor conference room at 919 Eighteenth Street, NW. For more information and to register for the luncheon, click here.

APT-COAT Brown Bag Lunch to Feature Accessible Technology Demos

On June 18th the Alliance for Public Technology and the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT) will co-sponsor a brown bag lunch around the theme Digital Communication in the 21st Century: Ensuring Access by People with Disabilities. Thanks to APT Board member Larry Goldberg, who directs the National Center for Accessible Media at WGBH, there will be demonstrations of online captioning and descriptive video. The program will also feature Karen Peltz Strauss and Jenifer Simpson of AAPD, both members of the APT Board, Lisa Hamlin of the Hearing Loss Association of America, Eric Bridges of the American Council of the Blind and Mark Reichert of the American Foundation for the Blind. The luncheon will take place in the 10th floor conference room at 919 Eighteenth Street, NW. For more information and to register for the luncheon, click here.

TELECOM NEWS

APT Board Member to Testify at May 1st Accessibility Hearing

Larry Goldberg, the Director of Media Access at WGBH and a member of the APT Board of Directors, is scheduled to testify on Thursday, May 1st before the House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Internet. The hearing will focus on draft legislation designed to enhance access to broadband technologies for people with disabilities. As part of his testimony, Larry is scheduled to demonstrate online captioning technology.

The hearing is scheduled to begin at 9:30 am in Room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC. Additional witnesses scheduled to testify include Sergeant Major Jesse R. Acosta, U.S. Army; Mr. Jamaal Anderson of the Atlanta Falcons; Mr. K. Dane Snowden of CTIA; Mr. Russell Harvard of the Collier Talent Agency; and Mr. Ken Nakata of BayFirst Solutions L.L.C. Click here to access the live video webcast of the event.

Broadband-Over-Power-Lines Ruling Could Slow Deployment

Federal Communications rules designed to speed deployment of broadband-over-power line (BPL) technology hit a significant bump this week thanks to a court ruling that could delay rollout of the technology. BPL, which sends broadband signals over traditional electrical lines into the home, had been looked at as a possible "third pipe" for the delivery of residential broadband service. Unfortunately, the technology has been beset by numerous problems involving interference with public-safety networks, aeronautical navigation, and amateur radio.

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL), which filed the original lawsuit against the FCC's rulemaking process on the issue, contended that the FCC's approach to testing BPL radio emissions was insufficient to ensuring that the technology did not interfere with other radio devices. The U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia ruled in favor of the ARRL, finding that the FCC acted improperly in rejecting ARRL-submitted data that could have influenced the Commission's rulemaking on BPL.

While the FCC declined to comment on the ruling, advocates of BPL believe that the decision may not necessitate a complete revision of the FCC's rules. "We're a little surprised that the court took issue with those two issues that it did send back, but I expect the FCC will work quickly on those and come to a conclusion soon," said Brett Kilbourne, director of regulatory affairs at the United Power Line Council, the BPL industry's trade group.

According to the FCC, approximately 5,000 Americans currently subscribe to BPL.

Rural America Depends on Broadband, Says Representative Space

Prosperity for rural America is tightly connected to the deployment of broadband, said Representative Zack Space to telecommunications company executive recently. Representative Space's comments come at an auspicious moment for rural communities, as funding for rural broadband initiatives are up for debate in Congress as part of the massive farm bill reauthorization package.

"The future of rural America depends on the deployment of broadband service nationwide because it can bring employment, education and health care opportunities that wouldn't exist otherwise," said Representative Space.

To read more of Rep. Space's comments, click here.

FCC-State Advanced Services Conference Begins to Take Shape

Last month, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin announced that the Federal-State Joint Conference on Advanced Services will be reconstituted. The goal of the Joint Conference is to serve as a forum for dialogue among the FCC, state, local, and regional regulators regarding the deployment of advanced telecommunications services, including broadband. FCC Commissioner Deborah Tate will chair the new Joint Conference alongside Commissioner Larry S. Landis of Indiana.

The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) last month nominated six state regulatory commissioners to serve on the Joint Conference. Nominees include Commissioner Rachelle Chong of California, Commissioner Mark Johnson of Alaska, Commissioner Betty Ann Kane of the District of Columbia, Commissioner Randy Mitchell of South Carolina, Commissioner Krista Tanner of Iowa, and Commissioner Vendean Vafiades of Maine.

"Ensuring that all consumers have access to the latest telecommunications services is a critical function of what State and federal regulators are all about," said NARUC President Marsha Smith. "This Conference will serve a vital role in our efforts to serve the public. I thank the FCC for reaching out to us and I am grateful that my State regulatory colleagues are stepping up and advancing our mission."

APT worked closely with NARUC to support creation of the previous Joint Conference and welcomes renewed efforts for ensuring universal access to advanced telecommunications services.

To read more about the Joint Conference, click here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

May 1
Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet
Hearing on Draft Legislation Enhancing Access to Broadband Technology and Services for Persons with Disabilities
Washington, DC
More Info

May 1
ITIF
Explaining International Broadband Leadership
Washington, DC
More Info

May 6
ITIF
William Lewis, Unleashing the Power of Productivity at Home and Abroad
San Francisco, CA
More Info

May 15
APT-The Children's Partnership
Brown Bag Lunch
Washington, DC
More Info

June 18
APT-COAT
Brown Bag Lunch
Washington, DC
More Info