Travis, do you remember the term 'fuzzy math'?
On 8/7/06 10:59 PM, "Travis Johnson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi, > > Can someone explain to me how having broadband (instead of dial-up > internet that EVERYONE can get) is going to create 61,000 jobs per year > for the next 20 years? If it will create jobs from people doing more > online, then it will decrease jobs from the brick and mortar businesses > going out of business. Am I missing something? > > Travis > Microserv > > John Scrivner wrote: > >> This is the US Senator in my district in Illinois. It looks like he >> has been reading my emails maybe. :-) At least he is getting parts of >> what I have been saying. >> Scriv >> >> >> *DURBIN INTRODUCES BILL TO ENCOURAGE HIGH SPEED INTERNET ACCESS IN >> RURAL AREAS * >> >> Friday, August 4, 2006 >> >> [WASHINGTON, DC] U.S Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) says a national >> policy is needed to accelerate the deployment of broadband internet >> service to rural areas so that every American can have high-speed >> internet access no matter where they live. Today, Durbin introduced >> legislation, the Broadband for Rural America Act of 2006, to encourage >> the rapid deployment of high-quality, affordable broadband internet >> service, especially in rural areas. >> >> ³Broadband is an essential component of our lives, at work and at >> home. It has become an essential service like water, gas and >> electricity. Our homes and businesses need affordable access to high >> speed internet connections, in the same way our homes and businesses >> need traditional utility services,² said Durbin. ³Yet, for too many >> people living in small communities today, broadband access is still >> not a reality. When I travel in downstate Illinois, people tell me >> that they cannot wait to have broadband service, but that there is no >> service available to them right now. My bill will change that.² >> >> Two recent reports -- one issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce >> and the other by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that rural >> and farm households have access to broadband internet at approximately >> half the level of all U.S. households nationwide. Another respected >> research organization, the Pew Internet and American Life Project, >> found similar results. In its 2006 report, Pew found that only 18% of >> rural adults reported a home broadband connection, compared to 31% of >> urban adults. All of these studies point to a consistent conclusion: >> Americans living in urban areas are almost twice as likely to have >> home broadband access as do their rural counterparts. >> >> Durbin said broadband is critical to community and economic >> development, as it encourages investment, creates jobs, improves >> productivity, fosters innovation, and increases consumer benefits in >> every corner of our nation. A recent study found that adoption of >> current generation broadband would increase the gross domestic product >> by $179.7 billion, while adding approximately 61,000 jobs per year >> over the two decades. The study also projected 1.2 million jobs could >> be created if next generation broadband technology were rapidly deployed. >> >> ³We need to close the digital divide, ensuring that rural Americans >> are not left behind in the 21st Century¹s digital economy,² Durbin >> noted. ³Whether it is through telephone wire, cable, fiber, satellite, >> wireless or any other medium, we need every existing and future >> broadband service provider to step up to the national challenge.² >> >> Durbin said his bill includes four major provisions. Each is designed >> to focus on identifying obstacles that hinder broadband deployment in >> rural America today, and to find innovative solutions to address those >> concerns. >> >> Creates Broadband Trust Fund: creates a new federal program >> specifically targeted at assisting individuals, businesses and co-ops >> working at the earliest stages to bring broadband to their >> communities. Eligible entities include nonprofits, academic >> institutions, local governments and commercial companies that work to >> identify broadband access needs in unserved areas of the country. >> Projects to be funded through this new program will include >> feasibility studies, mapping, economic analysis, and other activities >> done to determine the reasons for the current lack of service, and the >> scale, scope, and type of broadband services most suitable for the >> particular unserved area. >> >> Reforms USDA Rural Broadband Program: the current USDA broadband loan >> program provides below-market rate loans and loan guarantees for the >> construction and improvement of broadband facilities and equipment in >> rural areas. This program expires in 2007. Durbin¹s bill does three >> things with regard to the broadband loan program -- extends the life >> of the program for another five years until 2012; refocuses the >> program solely on rural areas where it is most needed; and establishes >> a grant program to be administered by the same USDA office that >> currently runs the rural broadband loan program. >> >> Wireless Broadband Spectrum: requires the Federal Communications >> Commission (FCC) to make new spectrum available for wireless broadband >> services in rural areas as soon as practicable. The bill also requires >> the FCC to evaluate its spectrum auction plans and to divide some of >> the frequency allocations into smaller area licenses so that regional >> and rural wireless companies can compete in the bidding process. >> Making additional spectrum available holds tremendous potential for >> wireless broadband to be deployed in rural areas, especially in large >> geographic regions where it would be cost prohibitive to build out >> wires and cable. >> >> Creates Broadband Task Force: establishes a task force consisting of >> experts in federal, state, and local governments, trade associations, >> public interest organizations, academic institutions, and other areas >> to study best practices for rapid deployment of broadband services in >> states, particularly those with large unserved rural areas. The bill >> requires the task force, within 6 months, to provide to Congress and >> to each governor a report detailing a comprehensive list of specific >> measures adopted by state or local governments that helped deploy >> broadband services in areas that lacked such services. >> >> The legislation has been referred to the Senate Commerce, Science and >> Transportation Committee. >> >> >> >> >> __________ NOD32 1.1696 (20060807) Information __________ >> >> This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. >> http://www.eset.com >> -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
