Panelists focus on "leveling the playing field" through broadband and public computers

Local, state, and federal agency representatives spoke about efforts to extend broadband connectivity to small businesses and individuals as a crucial stepping stone towards economic development and civic involvement. The speakers were part of a presentation during the "Broadband Technology Summit" held as part of the United Minority Media Association's Midwest/Southeast conference on October 15. Calvin Osborne, an attorney with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), underscored the urgency in improving broadband -- essentially fast Internet access -- to keep the US from lagging behind other nations. While the US is 24th worldwide in broadband adoption, the real gap is found in low-income urban households and rural areas in the US. He spoke about FCC's expansive efforts to increase "digital literacy" for both individuals and small businesses. (Photo caption -- from left: Bill Grace, WEB Dubois Center; LT Toombs, WEB Dubois Center; Kevin Williams, WillCo Technologies; Kathy Burris, Missouri Dept of Corrections; and Calvin Osborne, Federal Communications Commission. Not pictured: Kelvin Simmons, Commissioner, Missouri Office of Administration and Ivan Drinks, Sr., CIO, City of Kansas City.)

While broadband access is prevalent in most large urban areas, many cannot afford the $30 or more monthly charge. Some rural areas, like the Missouri county mentioned by Kelvin Simmons, Commissioner of the Office of Administration, have "absolutely no broadband access," which keeps students from doing homework assignments that are placed on school websites. He reported on current broadband adoption and made a case for the need to develop private-public partnerships to close the "digital divide." Simmons claimed it was "almost impossible to build a community" today without broadband access.

Tourism in mostly rural southern Missouri, which experienced manufacturing decline decades ago without comparably-paid jobs, would be served, not only with better broadband coverage, but also public support for computers and training. For example, a river float business with a web presence will lose out to other businesses that connect to customers over broadband through websites and commercial social networks like Facebook.

How to provide computers and access is a critical question. 
Many that see the free market system as leveling the economic playing field might argue against public loans or grants to small businesses. However, Simmons highlighted one area where Missouri farmers might benefit from government support. In 2001 a hurricane struck that island of Cuba, straining that nation's ability to provide commodities such as rice and corn for their population. Due to US restraints on trade, Cuba was only able to purchase Missouri rice through a cash trade. Simmons noted Missouri farmers would gain if they were able to offer products over the Internet through commodity trading or marketing. He indicated that Missouri will be planning the development of high-speed Internet services through the American Recovery Act at a Missouri Broadband Summit held October 26-27, 2010 in Jefferson City.

The delivery of free Internet service to low-income households, along with access to free computers or public computer centers like those developed by the WEB Dubois Learning Center at 55th and Cleveland in Kansas City, should garner more attention by the KC public and government.

Ivan Drinks, Chief Information Officer with the city of Kansas City, advocated for "some government involvement" in extending broadband coverage. "History has taught us that information is not the domain of the wealthy," he noted. The Kansas City IT department is "trying to get access into community centers," he added.

Bill Grace, Executive Director of the WEB Dubois Learning Center, spoke about their efforts to work with area corporations to win technology grants, like the US Commerce Department grants in 1999 for public computers and access. He also spoke about providing next-generation WiMax access on the center's property, a potentially large impact project for extending broadband access to area residents.

Bill Grace, Executive Director of
the WEB Dubois Learning Center

Despite stereotypes of older Americans not connected, Grace added that a program offered at the Palestine Senior Center discovered "elders fascinated with technology." The WEB Dubois Center is active in supporting technology at 20 sites within the Swope Corridor Renaissance area.

LT Toombs, a technology worker at the center is "excited to give low-income families access to broadband."