Post date: Apr 02, 2010 6:45:57 PM
The FCC recently released a plan to bring broadband service to all Americans, including those who can't afford it. Some 36 million Americans don't have high-speed Internet service — not because they can't get connected, but because it costs too much. That's according to the Federal Communications Commission.
To help change that, the FCC came up with its National Broadband Plan. The plan specifically suggests tapping into what's called the Universal Service Fund — a federal program to help subsidize phone service for low-income households.
The Broadband Plan recommends that the funds that are devoted to defraying telephone costs be allowed to be used to defray broadband costs.
But monthly bills aren't the only obstacle.
Even though Internet access can be as low as $25 a month, you still need a computer, a decent computer system with a printer is at least around $500. Plus you need to know how to use it.
Alot of of our clients say that even when they sit down in front of a computer that they are intimidated.
So to help people, the National Broadband Plan also recommends a Digital Literacy Corps that would go into neighbourhoods around the country and train people to use computers and the Internet for education, and to help them find jobs.
We At Crossbytes.org think highly of this plan as it is placing broadband to be as essential to every American as electricity.
I think we should be doing our own version of the Digital Literacy Corps through some kind of outreach program with Fedora.
Rocket To Your Future with the Free Open Source Fedora Digital Literacy Corps, maybe another program like the Campus Ambassadors Program under the Fedora Ambassadors.