[1st-mile-nm] NY State Broadband Speech

[Richard Lowenberg]

The State of New Mexico would do well to look at and learn from the New
York State example.   One of our illustrius subscribers, in phone
conversation this afternoon, recommended that the NM Legislature ought to
allocate funding for a 'community broadband opportunities loan fund'.
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Gov. Eliot Spitzer's speech on introducing NY's statewide broadband
initiative

www.thealbanyproject.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1697

"Our inadequate broadband infrastructure is not an abstract problem. It
holds back our businesses, and our people, in real ways."

(exerpt)

"We will begin by setting real goals.

One goal, of course, is to increase speed. The speed of a network is
measured in megabits per second. Currently, the median download speed in
the United States is 1.97 megabits per second, and in areas without
broadband, it is often far less. Our goals are-by the year 2015-for every
citizen of New York to have access to at least 20 megabits per second in
each direction, and 100 megabits per second in major metropolitan areas.

There are other goals that we must set-for example, goals for broadband
penetration and affordability. But the unfortunate fact is that we can't
even set those goals yet because we know so little about the broadband
landscape.

Our first action, therefore, will be to form the New York State Council
for Universal Broadband, which will include key legislative leaders who
have championed this idea; local government officials; and experts from
academia. This Council will not just sit in a room and debate; it will
break into teams, get on the ground and address this issue on every front.

For example, one problem we have is that we know very little about what
our Internet infrastructure even looks like. Incredibly, in the
Information Age, there is no map of New York's broadband infrastructure-so
we don't even know where the existing gaps are. A team from the Council
will undertake that huge task. Only when we have this map can we
understand where the gaps are and how they must be filled. Another action
team will study innovative programs to increase the level of digital
literacy in underserved urban and rural areas, because what good is
high-speed Internet access if one doesn't know how to use a computer? A
third team will determine how we will advance our vision for universal
broadband coverage in collaboration with the academic, not-for profit and
private sectors-because collaboration will help us maximize our investment
of state funds.

Our second action will be to immediately begin issuing grants to provide
seed money for research, design and implementation of affordable broadband
networks for underserved urban and rural communities. Together with the
Legislature, we have provided $5 million for this purpose, and we will
build upon this financial commitment in the coming years.

One element of New York's strategy that is so innovative is that state
government will not be the one constructing these networks. Instead, state
money will be used to leverage matching funds from the private and
not-for-profit sectors. In the end, it is New York's vibrant
telecommunications sector-together with their tireless and invaluable
workers-who will implement this vision in partnership with government.
Furthermore, as part of this approach, our initiative will also advance
the participation of minority- and women-owned businesses. New York is the
first state to use this innovative public-private approach, and it will
allow us to increase broadband access faster and cheaper as a result.

(snip)


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Richard Lowenberg
P.O.Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504
505-989-9110,  505-603-5200 cell

1st-Mile Institute
New Mexico Broadband Initiative
www.1st-mile.com
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