Jesse Jackson Sr. column in WSJ

[Mary Alice Ball]

I thought some of you might be interested in this column in today's Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703909804575124140526932862.ht
ml?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEFTTopOpinion&mg=com-wsj

"The Wireless Web: Free at Last?
Too many African-Americans have to rely on libraries for Net access.

By JESSE L. JACKSON SR.

With a stroke of a pen, the Federal Communications Commission could connect
millions of minorities and poor Americans to broadband.

It is a well documented fact that in the United States there are two
distinct groups: the broadband haves, and the broadband have nots. Recently
the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information
Administration released a survey that found that over a third of people in
this country do not access broadband at home. Nearly the same percentage do
not have access to the Internet anywhere else.

The survey also specifies that over 13 million minority American households
do not have broadband either solely or in part because of its expense. In
addition to these disparities, a recently released report by the Joint
Center for Political and Economic Studies found that 92% of low-income
African- Americans regularly use the Net to look for employment and rely
heavily upon overcrowded public institutions such as libraries, schools and
community centers to access broadband.

That's why for several years my organization, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition,
has supported a proposal that the FCC should auction the AWS-3 spectrum band
and require that the winner provide a free tier of broadband service
nationwide. The auction winner would also have to construct the network on
an expedited schedule, and stiff penalties would apply if it fails to meet
the designated milestones.

The spectrum band, known as AWS-3, has been lying fallow for nearly 10
years. At present, not one consumer obtains broadband on those frequencies.
The plan to establish a free nationwide network (first proposed in 2006)
would put the spectrum band to immediate and productive use, ensuring that
millions of Americans are not on the wrong side of the digital divide.
What's more, it wouldn't cost taxpayers a dime.

Will this free broadband service be established? The final decision is in
the hands of the five appointed members of the FCC. Right now, there are
parties urging the Commission to conduct additional studies on the free
broadband issue even though the FCC has already debated the free service for
four years. This week, in fact, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski released his
much-anticipated National Broadband Plan, which states that the FCC will
"consider use of spectrum for a free or very low cost wireless broadband
service."

There is no greater role for public servants than crafting policy to help
those in the greatest need. That is why the time for decisive action is now.
The FCC must speak for the millions of Americans who cannot log onto its
multiple Web sites.

Establishing a free broadband network promotes the public interest; more
inexplicable delay does just the opposite."

Rev. Jackson is the president and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition,
which works to defend and expand civil rights to improve economic and
educational opportunity.