Last week, a group of top telecommunications companies sent a letter to the White House stating that the Federal Communications Commission is failing to comply with President Obama’s directive to slash unnecessary regulations.Read more

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski’s speech laying out the broad outlines of the ‘Net Neutrality rules he intends the Commission to vote on later this month drew fire from both edges of the political spectrum.Read more

Libraries have a bright future, particularly in small and medium–sized communities.  As the Knowledge Economy continues to change the way business is conducted, both locally and globally, libraries can play an essential economic development role as well as enhance community and civic life. Indeed, by changing and adapting their role and mission slightly, libraries could enter a “Golden Age,” where the venerable institution plays a more central role in the community, with a commensurate increase in funding.

The traditional role of libraries is not going away. We still need access to books, but just as important, we need access to online resources as well. For more than a decade, libraries have provided free public access to the Internet, often at much higher speeds than are typically available from homes and some businesses. Even though access to the Internet is much more common than it was ten years ago, many libraries are expanding the number of Internet workstations because of steady demand for access. Just as libraries treat books as a shared resource that lowers the cost of access, libraries can subscribe to specialized commercial databases like Lexis/Nexis, legal databases, commercial databases, and other kinds of specialized information. The access to those specialized resources is then available to everyone in the community. Libraries can also share access to specialized local information as well, like GIS databases maintained by local governments. Citizens usually cannot afford the specialized software needed to make full use of such information, but a GIS workstation in the library makes that available to all.Read more

Broadband for America has released a new video featuring David Ellis of the Corporate Director of Planning and Future Studies at the Detroit Medical Center and the Editor and Publisher of Health Futures Digest with Emery King. King is former Anchor and Chief Political Correspondent with WDIV-TV in Detroit, Michigan and as former White House Correspondent for NBC News. He currently serves as Communications Director at the Detroit Medial Center and Host of the “Emery King Medical Video Library”. Mr. Ellis and Mr. King discuss the importance of broadband adoption and how access to high-speed Internet is rapidly becoming a mainstay of our everyday lives. From the video:

David Ellis: “Broadband is important because we increasingly do our work on the highway and we don’t want to be held up in slow traffic or stuck in a traffic jam. … When we apply for that job, we want it to happen now.”

“I would agree with former FCC Chairman Michael Powell who said that having access to broadband Internet is synonymous with growing our economy. I couldn’t agree more. … How much do we need? As much as we can get.”

Watch the full video here.

The National Journal reports that job losses in the high tech industry were significantly lower last year than those compared to the overall economy and that job creation numbers from broadband powered fields are leading the economic recovery.

This year’s annual TechAmerica Cyberstates report finds the technology industry continues to employ some 5.86 million workers. "The one bright spot was software services," said TechAmerica Foundation Research Director Josh James. He added that software services actually created 10,100 jobs in the fourth quarter of last year.

In addition to creating more jobs, broadband technology is creating better paying jobs as well. According to the survey, the average salary in the tech industry is $84,400, compared to $45,400 for the average private sector job.

TechAmerica President Phil Bond said more could be done to unleash the job creating power of technology, including extending and enhancing the research and development tax credit and improving broadband deployment. . "It has to be enhanced otherwise the default is to outsource innovation around the world," Bond said. Read the rest of the story here.

The Austin Business Journal has published a guest editorial on the importance of expanding broadband access to rural communities. Here are some highlights from the piece by Texans for Economic Porgress Executive Director Robert Howden:

Having a broadband connection available to every household will make an immediate difference in how Texas educates its children. As we look down the road to high national unemployment for years to come, it is obvious that the better educated a job seeker is, the better chance he or she has of a successful search.

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Health care is another area where broadband access has immediate impact. In urban areas, seniors who are living independently can be equipped with relatively inexpensive devices, enabling them to send their vital signs to their physician's office, rather than having to take an expensive or physically difficult trip. Many physicians say just being able to "see" their patients through a Web camera can help them determine whether any medical intervention is needed.

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Finally, the ability to build a worldwide business from every den or spare bedroom in Texas will soon become a realistic dream. People won't have to work in the high-tech corridor in Austin to be able to create the next "must-have" iPhone app, or produce videos for clients that can be seen by people around the world. The Internet is indeed a powerful force in the 21st century world.

You can read the full editorial here.