Former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin Highlights Need for Smart Broadband Policies

We are happy to announce that former Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin will be submitting a series of commentaries to The Hinterland Gazette. Below is the first submission in the series:

San Diego Summit Highlights Education and the Need for Smart Broadband Policies

On Sunday, September 19^th, the Alliance for Digital Equality had the opportunity to host a panel discussion at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Conference in San Diego, CA.  This conference was focused on the important issue of higher education in America, specifically in communities of color.  As we have seen with the invention of online libraries and distance learning technology, they are helping to revolutionize and rethinking the way students are building their skill sets.  ADE was fortunate to be part of this event and have the opportunity to bring to the table the organization’s breadth of knowledge about the role of technology in modern education.   

The panel topic was “Digital Broadband Empowerment: Bridging the Educational Divide,” a fitting theme for an event focused on educating the youth of America.  As most already know, many schools in minority and low income communities continue to struggle. Dropout rates are high, student achievement is uneven and morale is low. Too few youth have the opportunity to attend college.  However with increased access to high-speed Internet they can have expanded opportunities to achieve academic success and can gain access to post secondary educational opportunities.   Over the next few years we have the chance to empower our youth with new technologies and help change lives.

Broadband technology is an innovation that can offer all children a chance to gain new educational and vocational resources.  This is especially important in the fields of math and science where the U.S. has unfortunately fallen behind.  These resources, whether it is an interactive website to help explain math problems or finding new sources of information about college scholarships, are invaluable to young people who have dreams of success.  While many schools and homes are now wired, 14 million Americans still lack access to the technologies that our children need to thrive in an increasingly competitive world.

Too many Americans are still without high-speed Internet leaving the children and their families without the same educational resources readily available to most Americans.  We must work harder and do more to include unserved and underserved communities in this digital revolution. Thankfully school leaders are increasingly investing in technology and Internet connectivity for students. This is because businesses and employers in the new economy expect that our youth are technologically proficient.  Whether it’s San Diego or Normandy, MO, dozens of large and small school districts are taking the right steps and making an investment in our children’s future.

If we are to accomplish our stated objective of universal broadband our public officials must consider policies that will create affordable access.  The policy framework for achieving universal broadband should draw heavily from the National Broadband Plan.  The Federal Communications Commission and Congress should follow a common sense path to ensure that we are not restricting the growth or adoption of high-speed Internet.  Additionally the one area where communities of color do not fall behind is access and use of mobile broadband -- this is clearly a bridge to connectivity and policymakers and regulators should be sensitive to this reality.

Millions of Americans are counting on Washington to get this right and make decisions in the best interest of low income and minority communities.

Creating new opportunities in our schools and homes will only help improve our quality of life and help give struggling communities a chance to succeed.  Broadband can create a level playing field for our children and establish economic equity for communities that have been historically disenfranchised.  Our leaders must enact smart policies that will promote innovation and investment. As mayor I found public-private partnerships work.  Washington needs to move forward with open, rigorous debate to find the right set of policy solutions that will positively impact the lives of millions that need and deserve broadband.