FCC: Broadband Recommendations, Education E-Rate Programs and Future of Media Presentation

The FCC is not shy releasing information lately. Anyone who wants to obtain FCC datasets via RSS, Website, E-mail notification would be swamped with alerts and never keep up. The working survey of Broadband Recommendations (full release Tuesday, Feb 22) hints at some interesting targets:

• Health care with a broadband network integrated with E-Care enabled with broadband could save 700 Billion dollars over the next 15 to 25 years.

The FCC may want to be careful with this goal. The government of Ontario (Canada) Health Ministry has spent over 1 Billion dollars trying to create an E-Health Care system and has yet to show ANYTHING for it.

• Remote Learning programs using Broadband network. The report suggests that significant improvements in student outcomes, reduced hours of instruction and higher completion rates of courses enrolled in. The source they used was a Carnegie Melon Open Learning Initiative study. One example cited was that  instruction methods using a hybrid model (broadband remote learning in concert with in class) when compared to a traditional instruction learning models were twice as effective.

The FCC is being cautious how student / teacher instruction models are addressed.  A hybrid model is probably the right approach to take.

• The FCC supports allowing Federal Purchasing Agreements (through the GSA) be extended to State and Local government to help reduce recurring term contract costs through the Networx program.

The extension of Federal purchase schedules and rates could offer significant benefits at the civic and municipal IT departments involving finance. The buying power of the federal government is not always as steeply discounted as most people think. Pricing and availability of these services through Networx may not be practical for some jurisdictions.

The future of media probably didn't need a presentation letting us know what we already do. But some of the highlights are:

Rapidly Changing Media Landscape

• Tremendous Innovation

• Diversity of websites, channels, phone apps

• Exciting new startups and media co innovations

• Collapse of traditional business models

• 1000s of journalists laid off, accountability journalism at risk

• Can citizens & communities get the info they need?

People have pointed their fingers point blank at Google / YouTube for the majority of the reasons why media is changing.