FCC Launches Public-Private Initiative to Advance Broadband

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski announced a new Public-Private Initiative to drive collaboration among government and private sector entities, including nonprofit organizations, on broadband-related national priorities. This initiative will advance key broadband goals, including those outlined in the National Broadband Plan, such as broadband adoption, digital literacy, technology and education, cybersecurity, public safety, job creation, and broadband and healthcare.

Chairman Genachowski appointed his Senior Counselor, Josh Gottheimer, to lead the initiative for the Commission. While Gottheimer’s primary focus will be on leading this Initiative, he will continue to serve as the Chairman’s Senior Counselor. Jordan Usdan will serve as Deputy Director of the Public-Private Initiative.

The initiative builds on the success of the Commission’s efforts to encourage public-private initiatives to advance the country’s broadband goals, including Connect to Compete, a broadband adoption program with national digital literacy and low-cost broadband offerings; the Digital Textbooks Initiative, between the Department of Education, the education technology industry, and nonprofit organizations; the FCC’s cybersecurity small business initiative, between government experts and private IT and security companies; Jobs4America, an initiative that has committed to bringing more than 100,000 new and repatriated call center jobs to the U.S. by 2013; and a joint effort with mobile carriers on a new nationwide public safety emergency alerting system.