New Dem Play | Utilizing the potential of broadband to solve different state and local issues
Where It's Working | Alabama, Oregon, Louisiana, Virginia, California, Fort Wayne, IN, and other cities and states
Players | State and local officials
State and local officials familiar with the benefits of broadband Internet access are looking for innovative ways to make it more widely available. Promoting broadband's high-speed, always-on Internet connection promises benefits beyond simply giving citizens a better tool for finding information or entertainment. Broadband has far reaching implications because its widespread household adoption will greatly boost a variety of "e-commerce" applications that could reignite the hyper-growth of the 1990s. Broadband will also enable state and local officials to transform their administrations into a digital government that provides services and acts more efficiently across the usual bureaucratic boundaries.
As broadband becomes more widespread, for example, public safety authorities will be able to develop systems for sounding public safety alerts more quickly and broadly via the Internet. Widespread broadband will also help businesses expand by making new and efficient retail channels such as streaming media possible. Online learning, telemedicine, and telecommuting all become more viable as the public's access to high-speed Internet connections increases.
However, extensive broadband deployment faces a substantial chicken-and-egg dilemma. Broadband connections cost roughly double that of slow-speed Internet connections, and consumers do not see enough broadband-only content and applications available to justify that cost. As a consequence, only about 24 percent of households that could get broadband actually subscribe. With such low subscribership, service providers are not building-out their networks to give more households the option of broadband. And with few people able to view data-rich content, developers are hesitant to develop the content and services that would otherwise add value to broadband and draw in more subscribers.
According to the Alliance for Public Technology (APT), technological shortcomings reduce the quality of life and restrain society from participating in an emerging global economy that is becoming increasingly dependent on high speed communications. In November 2007, APT released a report titled Broadband Initiatives: Enhancing Lives and Transforming Communities which highlights the communities using high speed broadband as a tool in solving different local issues. The report examines the impact broadband has had on an array of social issues including community development, education, health care, labor and economic growth, and public safety.
To add value to broadband and jump-start widespread subscribership and availability, state and local officials can spur new applications and content that not only achieve important public goals but also make the high-speed Internet more attractive. For example:
Telemedicine allows doctors to perform some services remotely, through videoconferencing, and even through diagnostics and sensors that patients can use at home while transmitting information to their physician. Many states fund pilot programs to demonstrate telemedicine's effectiveness. But to make these data-rich options more available to patients, states generally must solve two problems. First, insurance companies in most states do not reimburse doctors for telemedicine services. However, several states such as Louisiana and California have passed laws requiring that insurance companies cover telemedicine expenses, and other states have modified their Medicaid programs to cover telemedicine. Secondly, though doctors can easily practice telemedicine across state lines, many states require doctors to obtain an in-state medical license, and in the past few years several states have passed statutes applying very restrictive licensure requirement to telemedicine. Alabama, Oregon, and California, however, have passed reciprocal licensing laws allowing doctors in any of the three states to practice in the others via telemedicine. Other states permit their medical boards to grant telemedicine licenses automatically to licensed physicians from other states, or allow out -of-state doctors to apply for special telemedicine permits.
Due to poor infrastructure and lack of technological resources throughout rural communities, many individuals do not receive the same high level medical care available to people in a densely populated or urban setting. In order to improve access to prenatal and neonatal care throughout Arkansas, the state put together a broadband network of telehealth applications called the Antenatal and Neonatal Guidelines, Education, and Learning System, or ANGELS. Through ANGELS healthcare providers in rural areas have the opportunity to communicate with specialists from the University of Arkansas for Medical Services (UAMS) by transmitting ultrasounds and health screening tests via broadband to the specialists. ANGELS has had a significant impact on prenatal care throughout Arkansas. The resources ANGELS provides rural communities helps them identify at-risk births during the early stages of the pregnancy which has led to a twenty percent increase of high risk births occurring in advanced care hospitals rather than in clinics or hospitals in rural communities.
Telework is attractive to both workers and employers because it frees up time otherwise spent commuting, allows workers flexibility in their schedules while working the same number of hours, and has been shown to make workers more productive and it is much easier with a broadband connection. Nearly all states and the federal government have telework programs for employees, and governors such as Arizona's Janet Napolitano and Virginia's Tim Kaine have thrown their full support behind them. In 2006, Governor Kaine created an Office of Telework Promotion and Broadband Assistance within his administration to encourage and promote telework activities for public and private employers. States should make telework more attractive for private companies by issuing tax credits for each teleworker and by allowing companies to deduct teleworkers' computer and Internet access expenses, the costs of which may be partially recouped by reduced commuting traffic and the problems associated with it. At the same time, states must clarify their tax codes to clear up questions of nexus and jurisdiction for workers employed in one state but working from another.
Economic Growth and Workforce Development is important for every state and community, but particularly for those going through significant economic shifts. Green County, North Carolina was ranked the second most tobacco dependent county in the nation. However, the deep decline in the tobacco industry has left nearly 15% of the county's population without a job. The leaders of this community recognize that infusing a broadband infrastructure will lead to economic growth based on global integration and a modern workforce. In 2003, the community started Beyond Tobacco which provides training and outreach programs through broadband based technology. The program delivers the county residents local resources such as: an agricultural site for crop alternatives; an online marketplace for residents to post ads and offer services; a pest alert tool to provide up-to-date information about identifying and treating agricultural pests; and a health information center. Providing county residents with additional education, training, and resources has encouraged them to pursue new ventures like organic farming and ranching, crafts, and hospitality services. Beyond Tobacco has provided free technology training to over 450 residents through its Digital Connector program. The innovative integration of broadband into a community-oriented plan allows communities, such as Green County, to instigate change.
Distance learning allows students in rural areas and low-performing school systems to access broader education resources, and provides courses for adults looking for new skills or a more general education. The videoconferencing, streaming media, and collaborative applications associated with distance learning require broadband. At the K-12 level, schools can supplement their curricula with online course offerings, provide specialized tutoring for their students both at school and at home, and offer courses to students in areas too remote to physically attend classes. At least 15 states have online schools, some with their own curricula, such as the Florida Virtual School, and others with curricula developed by private companies, such as Pennsylvania's 11 online charter schools. Many school systems buy tutoring time from companies such as Smarthinking.com, which allows students to connect with individual tutors specializing in whatever subject they are having trouble with.
Higher education institutions use similar models, and many public universities now offer online courses and even full degree programs via the Internet. Companies in many industries similarly offer workers online job training and skills update programs. States can boost distance learning in all of these areas by encouraging their employees to use it, such as public school teachers taking mandated professional development courses. Furthermore, states can themselves offer online courses for free, as California offers English as a Second Language lessons on its Distance Learning Program website.
Digital government offers states and localities an efficient and effective way to not only communicate with citizens, but provide electronic services that citizens would otherwise have to inconveniently obtain in person. Digital government offers innovators the chance to even reinvent and streamline the way the government runs. For example, with electronic-fund transfers citizens can pay parking tickets, license fees, and even taxes via the Internet. Instead of trekking to town hall for forms and applications, citizens conveniently download them from the Internet, fill them out, and return them electronically. The key for state and local legislators in implementing e-government is to move away from the prevalent public relations model for government websites, where an agency uses the Internet to merely describe and project an image of itself. By instead moving toward a customer-centric model, governments can use the Internet to provide new and better services, allow citizens as much self-service as possible, and do their jobs in more convenient and efficient ways.
Public safety is another critical component of an efficient digital government. In any emergency-related situation, inter-agency resource sharing and communication are essential elements for effectively coordinating prevention, protection, response, and recovery systems. In 2004, Washington, D.C. launched the first interagency, city wide public safety data network to use wireless broadband. The Washington Area Responder Network (WARN) allows a variety of federal, state, and local public safety agencies have access to the network to ensure an inter-agency shared communication platform.
Fort Wayne, Ind., is an illustration of one local government that has leveraged technology and inculcated a digital government to achieve efficiency and cost-effective ways to serve its citizens. Former Mayor Graham Richard wisely invested in fiber to the premises (FTTP) technology and connected the city to this advanced system in order to attract high-potential startup technology companies. The scope of FTTP, however, reaches beyond the benefits of increased business development. For instance, Fort Wayne is considering using their new technology to deploy video relay services (VRS) for the deaf and increasing Internet literacy for underserved youth, families, and seniors. In 2005, Mayor Richard launched five iTeams -- citizen committees designed to strategically promote innovation and investment using the new FTTP technology in Fort Wayne. These iTeams are:
The Deaf and Hearing Impaired iTeam works to provide greater independence to the deaf and hearing-impaired community of Fort Wayne by assisting with the deployment of VRS on a broadband network. The VRS system allows users access to free interpreting services in real time over their television or computer through a free high- resolution camera.
The Education iTeam hopes to foster innovative thought through the use of broadband technol-ogy. This group is interested in how students and teachers use the broadband network and how they envision the future of broadband in the classroom and at home. The Education iTeam is researching FTTP as an option for virtual fieldtrips, video con-ferencing, interactive science labs, and interactive museum tours.
Fort Wayne's Government iTeam works to create a more efficient, effective and accessible local government. The committee helped with the creation of Online State House TV, which allows constituents to watch the Indiana State House in real time over the Internet. Furthermore, the Government iTeam improved efficiency within the city's Community Development Division by reducing wasteful paper usage and switching to digital data tracking.
The Medical iTeam is focused on medical uses of cameras and remote diagnoses for diabetic patients dealing with damaged blood vessels in the eye. The group has worked to place cameras in clinics without specialists to allow a specialist to diagnose the patient from a remote location. This service is especially valuable in areas where specialists visit clinics as rarely as two times per month.
The NetLiteracy iTeam promotes Internet literacy for underserved youth, families, and senior citizens in the Fort Wayne area. The program uses Internet-savvy teens to instruct others on how to use the Internet for services such as the Medicare Part D program, paying their bills, or filing their taxes. The Net Literacy iTeam runs computer drives to collect old and used computers. After refurbishing them, they are placed throughout community centers in the city.
The connection of FTTP technology with business development and constituent services is proving fruitful for Fort Wayne. In addition to the iTeams' success, the project has helped rapidly expand Internet access throughout the area. Furthermore, Mayor Richard expects the project will continue to improve public services, catalyze businesses in the region, and continue attracting companies from around the nation to the Fort Wayne area. The FTTP technology has been responsible for over 3,000 new technology-related jobs for the city, as well as for hundreds of millions of dollars in investments in Fort Wayne-area companies.
By encouraging broadband applications and content, states can add more value to the broadband Internet, encouraging more consumers to subscribe, and thereby spurring providers to connect more homes. With more people connected to broadband, other public safety, efficiency, and convenience benefits will be easier to achieve.
City of Fort Wayne -- iTeams
www.cityoffortwayne.org/iteams
City of Fort Wayne iTeam Overview
www.cityoffortwayne.org/images/stories/
mayor/
iteams/files/iTeam_Overview3.pdf
New Dem of the Week: Mayor Graham Richard
www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=253570&kaid=104&subid=117
Arizona Executive Order 2003-11
www.governor.state.az.us/eo/2003_11.htm
Virginia Executive Order 35 (2006)
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/Initiatives/
ExecutiveOrders/2006/EO_35.cfm
California Telemedicine: A Reimbursement Dilemma
www.feed-back.com/californiatelemedicine.htm
California Distance Learning Project
www.cdlponline.org
SmarThinking.com
www.smarthinking.com
South Dakota Senate Bill 45, 2002
http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2002/bills/SB45enr.htm
Telemedicine Information Exchange
http://tie.telemed.org
The Alliance for Public Technology
Broadband Initiatives: Enhancing Lives and Transforming Communities
http://www.apt.org/publications/reports-studies/
broadband_initiatives.pdf
Robert D. Atkinson, "Network Government for the Digital Age," Progressive Policy Institute, May 2003
www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?contentid=251551
&knlgAreaID=140&subsecid=290
Andrew Leigh and Robert D. Atkinson, "Breaking Down Bureaucratic Barriers: The Next Phase of Digital Government," Progressive Policy Institute, November 2001
www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?contentid=3966
&knlgAreaID=140&subsecid=290
Shane Ham and Robert D. Atkinson, "Filling the Fat Pipes," Blueprint Magazine, December 2002
www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?contentid=251054
&knlgAreaID=140&subsecid=292
Robert D. Atkinson, Shane Ham, and Brian Newkirk, "Unleashing the Potential of the High-Speed Internet: Strategies to Boost Broadband Demand," Progressive Policy Institute, September 2002
www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?contentid=250894
&knlgAreaID=140&subsecid=292
"TechNet Releases State-by-State Ranking of Broadband Deployment Policies: Broadband Index Assesses Policies in 25 Top States with Michigan and Florida Leading the Way," Press Release, TechNet, July 2003
http://www.technet.org/news/release/?postId=6295&pageTitle=TechNet
+Releases+State-by-State+Ranking+of+Broadband+Deployment+Policies
Graham Richard, "Teens Bridge Digital, Generational Divide," Broadband Properties, April, 2006
www.broadbandproperties.com/2006issues/
april06issues/richard_april.pdf
"Fort Wayne Mayor Receives National Award," Inside Indiana Business, September 23, 2005
www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=15233 M
TechSoup -- Technology for Non-Profits
www.techsoup.org
Paul Weinstein
Progressive Policy Institute
600 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20003
(202) 547-0001
(202) 544-5014 (fax)
pweinstein@ppionline.org
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