Transforming Communities: Broadband Goals for 2017 and Beyond

As if there were any doubt, Google and its policy allies will continue to push their vision for Smart Cities with a focus on education and health applications during the coming years. Rural plus small-town deployment will remain a centerpiece of their political efforts. At a Next Century Cities (NCC) program in Washington on Nov 30, bipartisan speakers extolled broadband's value and some, such as Sen Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), indicated plans to keep their agenda alive no matter what policy barriers lie ahead. "," the title of the event, was sponsored by Google Fiber, the Ford Foundation, Internet2 and Harrison Edwards. The program was held at Google's Washington office. In prepared remarks, Sen Klobuchar said, “Everyone, from the farmers in rural Minnesota to those in our towns and cities, must be able to log on and participate in this new digital economy.” Sen Angus King (I-ME), described high-speed broadband's capability to enable people "whether they live in rural Maine or New York City, to realize unprecedented economic, educational and cultural opportunities."

The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition and US Ignite, which supports next-generation Internet applications, co-hosted the event. Other speakers included several mayors, school and library administrators plus familiar broadband cheerleaders such as Harvard Law professor Susan Crawford, Gigi Sohn, the outgoing counselor to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, and Brookings Institute senior fellow Blair Levin.