03/27/09 - Rural Broadband Policy Group Files FCC Comments
Main Street Project joins call for recommendations based on core principles
MINEAPOLIS, Minn., March 27, 2009 - Main Street Project joined with the Center for Rural Strategies and other members of the Rural Broadband Policy Group in filing comments this week with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The 2008 Farm Bill requires the FCC to: "identify how specific Federal agency programs and resources can best respond to rural broadband requirements and overcome obstacles."
The Rural Broadband Policy Group urged the FCC to create a national broadband strategy focused on four main needs of rural communities:
(1) Accurate data on service availability and adoption
(2) Locally-owned infrastructure
(3) Assistance in technology adoption
(4) Uniform and transparent federal policies
The group also identified core principles that form the basis of their recommendations. "It's important for the FCC to start with the principle that communication is a fundamental human right," said Amalia Deloney, Senior Fellow at Main Street Project. "Rural residents need a comprehensive policy that allows them to participate in the national conversation about their future - across all media." Other principles address the diversity of rural America, local ownership, self-reliance and investment in the community, and network neutrality.
03_27_09_MSP_Broadband_MediaRelease.pdf
Rural Broadband Principles and Policy Recommendations for FCC Rural Broadband Strategy-2.pdf