skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, September 20, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Dozens of CA events this weekend honor Latino Conservation Week; Kamala Harris joins Oprah Winfrey in emotional campaign event; Report finds poor working conditions in Texas clean energy industry; AI puts on a lab coat, heads to technical schools.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

National Broadband Plan May Speed Things Up for ID

play audio
Play

Wednesday, March 17, 2010   

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Making Internet connections for Idahoans speedier is part of the goal behind the much-anticipated National Broadband Plan, officially released by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday.

While many are still combing through the 360-page outline of steps to higher-quality Internet access for all Americans, Amalia Deloney, media action grassroots network coordinator for the Center for Media Justice, says the plan's release is a victory, in and of itself.

"Broadband is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity. It affects everything from education, to employment, to health care, to government services and to democracy. It's crucial."

A report from the Communications Workers of America finds most Idahoans access the Internet at the slowest speeds in the country, with thousands still on dial-up plans. The FCC document calls for increasing the high-speed broadband adoption rate from 65 to 90 percent nationwide, connecting vital institutions like hospitals and schools; and connecting 100 million households to affordable broadband by 2020.

The affordability factor is important for lower-income families and people in rural areas, adds Deloney.

"The average person in the United States is paying around $40 dollars – $40-plus – for home Internet connection, and most of the people that we work with have reported they can't pay anything more than $20 to $25, and even that's a stretch."

She says adding broadband service to the Universal Service Fund, which already helps make telephone service available and affordable for everyone, would be one way to lower Internet connection costs.

See the National Broadband Plan at www.fcc.gov. The Internet speed report is also online, at www.speedmatters.org.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
Some 899 of 936 public comments on the plan for the proposed West Fork Dam, or 96%, opposed the West Fork Battle Creek Dam project, according to a tally by Wyofile. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

A federal agency is requiring Wyoming to update cost estimates for a large proposed dam in Carbon County, which has been under feasibility studies …


Social Issues

play sound

This Saturday marks the International Day of Peace and the advocacy group Nonviolent Peaceforce is kicking off a series of family-friendly events in M…

Environment

play sound

Latino Conservation Week is in full swing, with 330 events across the U.S. and 90 in California alone. The 11th annual event runs through Sunday…


Nebraska is one of 10 states to confirmed abortion-related constitutional amendment measures on the ballot in November. (Alcorn Imagery/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Some ballot initiatives this year have taken more than voter signatures to get onto the ballot in Nebraska. They've already withstood major court …

Environment

play sound

Maine officials are stepping up land conservation projects as climate change continues to alter the state's terrain. New funding from the Land for …

Social Issues

play sound

A new study showed as Texas has emerged as a national leader in wind turbine and solar energy installations, clean energy workers often face …

play sound

Students enrolled at Wisconsin's technical colleges this fall might take a course where artificial intelligence is the star of the classroom…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021