Presentation to

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Presentation to KINBER Annual Conference Broadba
nd Public Policy Update April 23, 2014 John
Windhausen Executive Director, SHLB
Coalition jwindhausen_at_shlb.org [phone]
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Mission

• Advocate for programs and policies that enable
  anchor institutions
• to obtain
• open, affordable, high-speed
• broadband connections to the Internet.

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SHLB Membership

• K-12 Schools (CoSN, SECA)
• Community Colleges (AACC, ITC)
• Libraries (ALA, COSLA, ULC, Alaska State Library,
  Alaska Library Association, N.J. State Library,
  ARSL)
• Public Media Access Humboldt
• Higher Education (EDUCAUSE, U. of Alaska, Center
  for Digital Inclusion)
• Foundations (Gates, Benton, New America)
• State Mapping Agencies (Partnership for Connected
  Illinois, New Mexico Broadband Authority)

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SHLB Membership (Contd)

• National RE Networks (Internet2/USUCAN)
• State RE Networks The Quilt, Merit, NYSERNET,
  MCNC, OARNet, I-Light, OSHEAN, UEN
• Broadband Companies Google, ENA
• Broadband Consulting Firms ICF, ZeroDivide
• Municipal NATOA, ILSR
• Wireless Mobile Beacon

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SHLB Advocacy Issues 2009-2013

• BTOP and BIP Programs
• National Broadband Plan
• FCCs 2010 E-rate Reform
• FCCs 2011 Connect America Fund
• FCCs 2012 Rural Healthcare Connect Fund
• U.S. Ignite
• Digital Literacy

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SHLB Advocacy Issues 2014

• E-rate Reform
• Connect America Fund
• Healthcare Connect Fund
• Unlicensed Wireless

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ConnectED

• 99-in-5
• 99 of school children should be connected to
  high-speed broadband in 5 years
• Private Sector Commitments
• Sprint, ATT, Microsoft, Verizon, Apple, OReilly
  Media, AutoDesk

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E-rate Reform

• Comprehensive What if the FCC started from
  scratch?
• Funding What is the size of the problem? How
  much money do we need?
• Streamlining How can we improve the efficiency
  of the program?

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Comprehensive

• Refocus on broadband
• Diminish support for voice, web hosting, pagers
• P1/P2 distinction will disappear
• P1 External connections
• P2 Internal connections

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Funding

• Cap of 2.25 B was set in 1997
• Indexed annually for inflation in 2010
• Now 2.4 B
• Demand at 5 Billion
• Actual demand is higher
• No money available for P2 (internal connections)

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Efficiencies

• Streamline application and approval process
• Eliminate carriers as the middleman
• Eliminate technology plans for P2
• Allow evergreen approval of long-term contracts.

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Controversial Issues

• 2 Billion available in next 2 years how should
  this be spent?
• Should the E-rate cap be raised permanently?
• Should E-rate support a short-term surge in
  funding for capex?
• Should dark fiber or self-provisioning be allowed?

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Camps

• Traditional schools no changes, just more
  money, especially P2
• SHLB/Education Superhighway surge in funding for
  capex
• Pai/Funds for Learning Simplify the program by
  awarding funding to schools and libraries based
  on students/patrons

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Connect America Fund

• Former High-Cost Fund, subsidizes telcos in rural
  areas (not rural telcos)
• FCC 2011 order shifted money to ATT/Verizon
• About ½ of short-term funding rejected by industry

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Connect America Fund

• FCC about to open process to non-traditional
  providers (including RE networks)
• FCC invited expressions of interest
• Almost 100 filed
• FCC Adopting Order and Further Notice TODAY to
  open the CAF funding to non-telcos

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Healthcare Connect Fund

• FCC made 400 M available to fund broadband
  networks to connecting rural and urban
• Match of 35 is required difficult
• Consortia applications are encouraged, but local
  organization is challenging.

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Unlicensed Wireless Spectrum

• FCC decision in May
• Unlicensed (white spaces) spectrum can be used to
  extend Wi-Fi for 3-5 miles

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• SHLB Coalitions Annual Conference
• May 7-9, 2014
• Marriott Marquis Hotel
• Washington DC
• www.shlb.org/events