The US Broadband Coalition has released a report on Broadband and the Economy (pdf). The Broadband Coalition is composed of more than 160 organizations working toward a national broadband strategy. All members of the Coalition support the general principle that, within a reasonable period of time, all American consumers, businesses, and other organizations should have affordable access to sufficiently robust broadband connectivity.
They suggest the following policy options:
- Invest in Digital Inclusion and Digital Literacy programs that directly serve those populations that traditionally underutilize broadband connectivity: those in rural areas, seniors, those with less education, some minorities and those with low incomes.
- Develop a “digital ecosystem” in communities where broadband access is made available at public institutions (e.g., libraries, schools, park districts, hospitals) and in the home.
- Encourage a range of investment models that increase broadband options – starting first by reinforcing commercial markets that have invested billions to wire and unwire
In Spain, everyone will have a legal right to buy 1 Mbps broadband wherever they live by 2011, the country’s industry minister said on Tuesday.
A “universal service” contract would guarantee “reasonably” priced broadband throughout Spain, said Miguel Sebastian in a statement sent to media. Until now, the “universal service” has only guaranteed internet via telephone line, fixed telephone, directory service and telephone booths.
The universal contract is aimed at protecting consumers in poorly populated areas from being cut off in cases where operators would otherwise consider providing the service unprofitable.
Spain’s telecoms regulator, the CMT, proposed that Telefonica, Vodafone and Orange foot the cost of providing the universal service for telephony, which it judged had cost 75.34 million euros, with Telefonica paying 71 percent of the costs. Telefonica, a former state monopoly, is the second largest corporation in Spain.
Meanwhile, Telefonica, Europe’s largest telecommunications company by market capitalization, and the U.K.’s BT reported that revenue remained under pressure particularly in European home markets. Telefonica said net profit fell 1% to EUR1.99 billion in the third quarter while the company slashed operating expenses by 6.5% in the period
Finland became the first country in the world to make broadband connection a legal right for every citizen earlier this year.
When the law goes into effect in July 2010, every person in Finland will have the guaranteed right to a one-megabit broadband connection. The government will make a 100 Mb broadband connection a legal right by the end of 2015.
