Presentation to
KINBER Annual Conference
Broadband Public Policy Update
April 23, 2014
John Windhausen
Executive Director, SHLB Coalition
jwindhausen@shlb.org (202) 256-9616
Mission
Advocate for programs and policies that
enable anchor institutions
to obtain
open, affordable, high-speed
broadband connections to the Internet.
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)
SHLB Membership (Cont’d)
National R&E Networks: (Internet2/USUCAN)
State R&E 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
SHLB Advocacy Issues: 2009-2013
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BTOP and BIP Programs
National Broadband Plan
FCC’s 2010 E-rate Reform
FCC’s 2011 Connect America Fund
FCC’s 2012 Rural Healthcare Connect
Fund
• U.S. Ignite
• Digital Literacy
SHLB Advocacy Issues: 2014
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E-rate Reform
Connect America Fund
Healthcare Connect Fund
Unlicensed Wireless
ConnectED
• “99-in-5”
– 99% of school children should be
connected to high-speed broadband in 5
years
• Private Sector Commitments
– Sprint, AT&T, Microsoft, Verizon, Apple,
O’Reilly Media, AutoDesk
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?
Comprehensive
• Refocus on broadband
• Diminish support for voice, web hosting,
pagers
• P1/P2 distinction will disappear
P1: External connections
P2: Internal connections
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)
Efficiencies
• Streamline application and approval
process
– Eliminate carriers as the middleman
– Eliminate technology plans for P2
– Allow evergreen approval of long-term
contracts.
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?
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
Connect America Fund
• Former High-Cost Fund, subsidizes
telcos in rural areas (not rural
telcos)
– FCC 2011 order shifted money to
AT&T/Verizon
– About ½ of short-term funding
rejected by industry
Connect America Fund
• FCC about to open process to nontraditional providers (including R&E
networks)
– FCC invited “expressions of interest”
– Almost 100 filed
– FCC Adopting Order and Further Notice
TODAY to open the CAF funding to nontelcos
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.
Unlicensed Wireless
Spectrum
• FCC decision in May
• Unlicensed (white spaces) spectrum
can be used to extend Wi-Fi for 3-5
miles
SHLB Coalition’s Annual Conference
May 7-9, 2014
Marriott Marquis Hotel
Washington DC
www.shlb.org/events
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