Two Western senators propose to expand access to the $4 billion Federal program allowing public schools and libraries across the U.S. to get high-speed Internet access at affordable prices as one way of overcoming the “digital divide” that exists in different Indian communities and other rural areas.
Librarians, politicians and other experts gathered on Thursday in Washington, a panel discussion on legislation and the needs of tribal communities.
Federal communications Commissioner Mignon Cliburn told the group that investment in broadband infrastructure is essential, as these investments increasingly determine which cities, towns, and Nations thrive.
“Just as water, roads, Railways and electricity, broadband is now a fundamental, when it comes to the development of our community,” said Cliburn.
The Commissioner also counted the number of statistics they say that they can’t be quite common given the lack of differences between the nation’s urban and rural population.
In 2016, more than 92 percent of the total population broadband Internet access at levels, according to the FCC as a telecommunications perspective. Said Cliburn figures were less positive for rural and mountainous areas, where about one third of the population does not have access.
She also reported 14 million Americans living in rural areas and more than 1 million lives in tribal communities do not have access to mobile broadband.
“We’re talking about 5G,” said she. “There are some people who are trying to figure out what G is. I’m serious”.
Cliburn and others said that society is becoming more digital dependent, and pointed to social and economic development that comes from the ability to access resources, health care and even online.
While touting the success of the Federal government e-rate program that provides discounts on services to schools and libraries to high-speed Internet access at an affordable price, they said more must be done for the tribes to press for funding.
Most public libraries received E-rate funding, but officials estimate only 15 percent of tribal libraries received it.
U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, new Mexico Democrat, and Republican Senator Dean Heller of Nevada are sponsoring legislation that would improve and expand access universal service support program and to establish a $100 million pilot program for broadband access to Indian country’s tribal libraries.
The senators say more than 80 percent of rural tribal communities in new Mexico and 70 percent of those in Nevada do not have access to broadband.
Henry said the legislation has the potential to benefit Alaska villages, Pueblo in New Mexico, the head of the house through the huge Navajo and many other tribal communities.
The bill has the support of the Cliburn and the American library Association.
In new Mexico, some Pueblos have formed a consortium and won Federal funding to build their own network, which is now almost complete. The project marked the largest Federal investment in the deployment of broadband in Indian country.
Cynthia Aguilar librarian from Santo Domingo Pueblo in Northern new Mexico, described bringing more broadband capacity to their tribe, as an innovation as big as the creation of a railroad over a century ago in the then territory of new Mexico.
She described one Internet connection that is currently for the community center where the library is located. With more than 100 employees, tribal via the Internet, business is not completed at the end of the day due to lack of connectivity.
“Once fiber optics is not lit, it will be black and white,” she said of the difference. “It will be so spectacular. I even lost the gift of speech, to say right now.”
Cliburn compared libraries, like the one run by Aguilar as lifelines for their communities, as they are often the only place rural residents can access to the Internet. Without changes, she said that the United States runs the risk of having a generation of rural residents remains offline.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
