Broadband Policy

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The release of the National Broadband Plan on March 16, 2010 marked a major milestone in the quest for fast, affordable, ubiquitous broadband for the United States. The Plan is extremely comprehensive and cuts across all sectors of our economy. EDUCAUSE is proud that it includes many ideas that EDUCAUSE first established in 2005 in the Higher Education’s Perspective on Telecommunications Reform. Since then, we have urged the federal government to adopt policies that insure a broadband Internet that:

Is secure, affordable, and available to all, supporting two-way, gigabit-per-second speeds and beyond.
Is open to all persons, all applications, and all lawful content …
Is a level playing field… so that market forces can drive continued innovation and affordable access.

In addition, EDUCAUSE has advocated for the right of State and local governments to build and operate their own networks when necessary to satisfy the needs of their communities, and for a renewed federal investment in research and development of the requisite technologies.

We hope you find this resource page helpful to find the various EDUCAUSE documents, presentations, policies, pod casts and blogs that continue to accumulate surrounding this topic. The release of the Plan is just the beginning… EDUCAUSE will continue to work to transform the Plan’s recommendations into a reality that will benefit all of us. You might be interested in a specific recommendation that EDUCAUSE plans to devote much of its attention to in the coming months. The Plan endorses the formation of a unified community anchor network (UCAN) that would build on the legacy of our research and education community to connect all community anchor institutions. You can read a description of this proposal on page 154 of the Plan or as it was originally described to the Federal Communications Commission by the Schools, Health, and Library Broadband Coalition, of which EDUCAUSE is a founding member.

What You Can Do

Find out what your broadband options are and contribute to a national census on broadband speed and choice. Go to the Consumer Broadband Test.
Spread the word about how the recommendations in the National Broadband Plan, if adopted, could improve our ability to deliver quality higher education.
Educate your campus government relations office about the importance of the National Broadband Plan.
Visit, write, call, or email your congressional representatives both at the state and federal level and ask them for their support of the National Broadband Plan.

Updated March 25th 2010

Library Items on this Topic

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EDUCAUSE Library Items for Broadband Policy

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USF Reform Comments to the FCC: July 9, 2012

July 9, 2012 comments sent by EDUCAUSE, AAU, ACE, APLU, AASCU, and NACUBO to the Federal Communications Commission about the proposed reform of the Universal Service Fund contribution methodology…
SHLB Coalition Letter to the FCC on the Universal Service Fund (October 20, 2011): October 20, 2011

Letter sent by the Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition (“SHLB Coalition”) to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) "to provide additional clarification of its reques…
SHLB Coalition Comments in the USF-ICC Transformation Proceeding (8/24/11): August 24, 2011

Comments from the Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition ( www.shlb.org ) in response to the Federal Communication Commission's "Further Inquiry Into Certain Issues…
Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition: September 1, 2010

In response to an FCC request, EDUCAUSE, as part of the SHLB Coalition, submitted further details and supporting material concerning our comments on the E-rate and Connect American Fund proposed …
Response to Joint Request for Information from NTIA and RUS: November 30, 2009

This the response to Joint Request for Information from NTIA and RUS concerning the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program and the Broadband Initiatives Program. Comments, which were issued o…
Comments on Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP): April 13, 2009

DUCAUSE filed comments on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's broadband provisions with the NTIA and RUS in this April 13, 2009 letter. …
Higher Education’s Perspective on Telecommunications Reform: May 1, 2005

Americans depend on the Internet to learn, create, work, conduct business and communicate. This "central nervous system of the information economy" directly enables innovation, producti…
Comments of the Association of Research Libraries, EDUCAUSE, Internet2, NYSERNet, and ACUTA In the matter of Preserving the Open Internet Broadband Industry Practices: January 14, 2010

This is a joint filing (EDUCAUSE along with ARL, Internet2, ACUTA and NYSERNet) to the FCC in the Net Neutrality proceedings. This is a joint fi…
EDUCAUSE Comments to FCC on National Broadband: June 8, 2009

The members of EDUCAUSE/Internet2/ACUTA are concerned about the inadequate level of broadband connectivity in the United States and the impact this shortage of broadband facilities is having on e…
A Blueprint for Big Broadband: January 29, 2008

This report proposes bringing the federal government, state governments, and the private sector together as part of a new approach to making high-speed Internet services available across the coun…