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[Commentary] Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski has a spectrum politics problem. On the one hand, he learned from last year’s D Block battle that he needs to stay aggressively on message to sell his spectrum reforms.

His every speech on spectrum therefore reads like a campaign speech for incentive auctions. ‘We have a looming spectrum crisis, we need bold action, Congress must act now to pass incentive auctions.’ But, as Genachowski has discovered, this approach can have unintended consequences. Recently, Commissioner Robert McDowell reported that this focus on incentive auctions created uncertainty in Silicon Valley over the FCC’s commitment to the TV white spaces (TVWS). This follows earlier concerns from Senator Snowe (R-ME) and others that the Chairman’s exclusive public focus on incentive auctions invariably means giving short shrift to other, equally important spectrum reforms identified in the National Broadband Plan. Chairman Genachowski moved quickly to reaffirm that support for TVWS remains strong and that TVWS is a big part of the FCC’s spectrum for broadband initiative. Further, the inclusion of several spectrum items for the next open FCC meeting shows that Genachowski remains committed to broad spectrum reform. But these incidents underscore Genachowski’s difficult dilemma. How can he campaign to push through incentive auctions on the one hand, while making sure that other aspects of the spectrum reform agenda receive the prominence and attention they need to move forward? The fact that anyone could doubt the FCC’s continuing commitment to developing the TVWS despite its broad bipartisan support and support from the Obama Administration spectrum team underscores how little it takes to undermine confidence even in reforms already accomplished.

Commissioner Meredith Baker may hold the solution to Chairman Genachowski’s spectrum politics dilemma.

Computers for Youth works with low-income schools to put computers in the homes of sixth-grade students and bring parents into the learning mission.

Racial and ethnic minority patients are far less likely than whites to adopt an online personal health record to access and coordinate their health information, according to a study published in the March 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The study is the latest of many to point to a "digital divide," the term used to describe the disparity in access to the Internet and other forms of technology. Researchers examined the PHR adoption patterns of more than 75,000 patients at Partners HealthCare, Boston, during a 33-month period. They determined that blacks and Hispanics were half as likely as whites to adopt a PHR. They also found that high-income patients were 14% more likely to adopt a PHR than their low-income counterparts. Despite those gaps, once minority and low-income patients adopted PHRs, they used them at close to the same or the same rate as other groups, according to the study.

North Carolina House lawmakers have given final approval to a measure that would make it much more difficult for municipalities to set up their own broadband service – even when telecom companies refuse to serve them.

H129, the “Level Playing Field” bill, is backed by Time-Warner, CenturyLink, and other telecoms who say cities have unfair advantages in competing with commercial interests. Bill sponsor Marilyn Avila (R-Wake) says businesses need protection from “predatory” local governments. “We have to have some sort of framework that everybody understands when you go into this. This bill is going to establish those rules.” The measure would not apply to systems currently operating in Salisbury, Wilson, Mooresville/Iredell, and Morganton. But it would restrict cities who might consider offering similar services.