Connecting America: Broadband Policy Issues and Options for State Legislatures

NCSL Foundation for State Legislatures Partners Project

Project Overview | Background and Introduction | Project Deliverables | Project Timeline

Project Overview

Broadband Internet service is an important key to the nation's leadership in technological and economic initiatives. The President, the Congress and the Federal Communications Commission have identified rapid deployment of high-speed broadband as a national priority. President Bush has set 2007 as the deadline to achieve broadband access for all Americans, from prosperous suburbs to disadvantaged urban neighborhoods. However, a national broadband initiative will not succeed without a similar commitment at the state level. State legislative policies can stimulate or impede broadband development and demand.

The National Conference of State Legislatures' (NCSL) Connecting America project proposes to assist state legislators in understanding broadband and will outline for lawmakers the various policy options that can facilitate the deployment of broadband throughout the states.

NCSL is uniquely positioned to reach state lawmakers with information about this important issue. NCSL has considerable expertise working with state legislators on telecommunications and Internet issues. NCSL staff have extensive experience in producing dozens of reports and articles and in developing informative forums that bring legislators together with representatives of private industry, federal agencies and other organizations to explore telecommunications and Internet issues.

This proposed project will include a one-day invitational meeting, two site visits, an article in NCSL’s State Legislatures magazine and a project Web site incorporating the information and resources gathered from the project.

Background and Introduction

Bringing electricity to rural America was a significant challenge of the 1930s, and telephone service was not widely available to all Americans until the 1950s. Today’s major challenge is to provide not only first-class telephone service but universal access to high-speed broadband services. Broadband Internet service has been called a critical infrastructure for the 21^st century. Some industry analysts argue the term “telecommunications” in the digital age no longer even has any meaning in an age when how consumers receive data is no longer critical. All of the advances in technology and within the telecommunications industry bring an array of new products and services but also create significant new policy challenges for state lawmakers and regulators. In this ever-changing environment, lawmakers often are faced with the goals of encouraging competition and innovation within the telecommunications industry as well as offering important services to communities.

Deployment of widespread broadband applications can increase the number of people who can access the Internet, increase the speed of the Internet service and promote economic development. The standard technology used in most areas of the country to deliver broadband service is DSL, followed by cable modem. Other technologies in use include satellite, remote DSL, DSL repeater, Power-line, Wireless ISP and T-1/DS-1. And, some communities have begun to install Wi-Fi networks. Each of these broadband delivery solutions offers its own benefits and limitations.

In the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congress directed the Federal Communications Commission and state regulatory commissions to “encourage the deployment on a reasonable and timely basis of advanced telecommunications capability to all Americans.” Unfortunately, a gulf has developed between the degree of access to advanced telecommunications services available to citizens in rural compared to urban areas. As a result, several states have established commissions or task forces in recent years to study the disparity with a focus on which geographic areas receive broadband services and the degree of competition that exists in each area. States have attempted to remedy the current situation through the removal or restructuring of regulatory policies or with financial incentives including grants, loans, and tax credits.

Project Deliverables

Meetings

Invitational Meeting for Key State Lawmakers. NCSL will host an intensive one-day invitational meeting about broadband policy issues and options, to be held in conjunction with a major NCSL meeting. This meeting also will inform key state legislators (such as chairs of regulated industries committees and telecommunications committees), about the importance of broadband to state economies and the social benefits it can bring to communities. Invited lawmakers will receive a stipend to attend sessions at the meeting that explore policy questions and identify effective strategies for supporting broadband development. The meeting is designed to help legislators better understand (1) successful broadband deployment strategies; (2) the role of task forces and commissions in developing and coordinating innovative solutions; and (3) state-funded incentives, among other issues.

Policy Sessions at NCSL Meetings. NCSL will also offer programs on broadband deployment at the 2006 and 2007 NCSL Fall and Spring Forums and at the NCSL 2007 Annual Meeting. Summaries of these meetings and the one-day invitational meeting will be made available on the NCSL Web site.

Partners Meetings. NCSL will create a Steering Committee to provide oversight and direction for the project. Steering Committee meetings will be held in conjunction with major NCSL meetings to discuss policy issues and options and to guide the development of project deliverables.

Site Visits

State legislators will have the opportunity to visit telecommunications or information technology companies for a look at innovative current and future applications of broadband technologies. The site visits will allow lawmakers to see first-hand some of the economic and social benefits of broadband through demonstrations, tours, and informational discussions with industry leaders. The two visits will be held in conjunction with major NCSL meetings. The location of the site visits will be determined by the Steering Committee.

State Legislatures Magazine Article

A feature length article on broadband policy options will appear in NCSL's State Legislatures magazine. The magazine is NCSL’s most widely distributed publication, reaching over 35,000 subscribers, including state legislators and state legislative staff. The magazine provides objective insight on state issues and politics as well as commentary and analysis on significant current, past and future state legislation.

Project Web Page

NCSL will develop a broadband policy web page to serve as an information clearinghouse providing access to project publications, summaries of project meetings and activities, links to relevant websites and other resources. The project will enhance information available on broadband policy issues via the web page including NCSL resources, partners' publications and other information sources.

Project Timeline

The time frame for this project is one year. The project will begin September 1, 2006 and conclude by December 31, 2007. The NCSL Communications and Interstate Commerce Committee will sponsor the one-day invitational meeting, held in conjunction with the 2007 NCSL Spring Forum Meeting.

Schedule of Committee Meetings:

December 2006, San Antonio, Texas, NCSL Fall Forum Meeting
April 2007, Washington, DC, NCSL Spring Forum Meeting
August 2007, Boston, Massachusetts, NCSL Annual Meeting
December 2007, Phoenix, Arizona, NCSL Fall Forum Meeting

For more information, contact Bob Boerner, Pam Greenberg or Jo Anne Bourquard at NCSL, 7700 East First Place, Denver, Colorado 80230 303-364-7700

Connecting America Broadband Partnership Home