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Broadband

• What is Broadband?
• Why does it matter to libraries?
• Municipal Broadband
• Further Reading

Last Updated: April 17, 2008

What is Broadband?

Broadband is the word used to, generally speaking, describe high-speed telecommunications and, more specifically, high-speed internet.

Why does it matter to libraries?

Because of the increasing reliance upon and need for libraries to use broadband telecommunications services, ALA follows broadband deployment and build-out issues closely, focusing especially on accessibility, affordability and universal service concerns. In analyzing any particular broadband policy or legislative proposal, ALA asks several key questions including, but not limited to, the following:

• What is the impact of any proposal on accessibility to all communities?
• What is the impact on affordability of broadband services for libraries?
• What public interest provisions are included in any particular proposal?
• What is the impact on Universal Service and the E-rate program?
• Is there an impact on the “diversity of voices and ownership” issues?

ALA has raised these questions in regulatory venues, primarily the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and during legislative proceedings with numerous Congressional offices. Public debate regarding broadband deployment is most likely to be before the FCC rather than Congress.

See also the FCC web site.

Municipal Broadband

ALA worked with an informal but broad coalition, including the National League of Cities (NLC) and the National Association of Counties (NACO) that succeeded in eliminating a proposal that would have prohibited localities from building public broadband networks.

In some states, as well as the national level, corporate entities are pushing congressional and state legislators to pass laws prohibiting such public networks (notably the Pennsylvania state law). ALA agrees with the NLC/NACO coalition that options should remain open for local governments to have choices, especially when the private sector is not willing to provide appropriate broadband access.

Further Reading

• In June 2007, the American Library Association filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission regarding broadband:
  
  
  • ALA Comments Before the FCC On Internet Connectivity (PDF)
    
  • Deployment of Broadband to Public Libraries (PDF)
  • Subscriptions to Broadband Services (PDF)