Summit to examine closing the broadband gap

Approaches to closing the broadband gap will be among the agenda items when the Federal-State Joint Conference on Advanced Services and the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) hold a daylong seminar Feb. 7 in the FCC Commission Room.

The aim of the gathering is to identify and discuss best practices learned from broadband-adoption programs and academic studies/surveys, and how implementation of these best practices can close the broadband adoption gap among Americans. There will be a particular emphasis on closing the gap for low-income households, minorities, seniors, rural residents, those in Tribal lands and people with disabilities.

NTIA Assistant Secretary of Communications and Information and Administrator Lawrence Strickling will deliver one of the summit’s keynote speeches. Panel discussion topics include:

• What Have We Learned from Academic Studies on How to Close the Broadband-Adoption Gap;
• Discussion of Best Practices Learned from Implementing Broadband-Adoption Programs Within Different Communities;
• Discussion of Best Practices Learned from Implementing Broadband-Adoption Programs Within Different Communities; and
• Discussion of Industry Best Practices to Increase Broadband Adoption among the Various Technologies.

The summit, which is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 a.m., is open to the public and also will be streamed online.