OpenLeft.com, July 26, 2007
By Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)

[Editor's note: To watch the video of Sen. Durbin's post, click here.]

Hello and welcome to the third day of this experiment to reach out and gather the opinions of the on-line community as we begin crafting a broadband bill.

I thought the past two nights' discussions were great, with many well-informed comments and useful input. I'm expecting similar participation this evening.

I want to specifically thank our host Matt Stoller, Ben Scott of Free Press, Chris Wolf, from Hands Off the Internet and Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center for contributing to the exchange of ideas.

Tonight, we're going to focus on a topic that has frequently come up in our conversations. How can we obtain universal, affordable broadband coverage today?

Some of the most interesting initiatives I've seen have involved use of the public airwaves using Wi-Fi. The successes, like my own state's Champaign-Urbana Community Wireless Network, show what happens when communities roll up their sleeves to find innovative ways to get everyone connected. Other challenges include figuring out how to ensure that the newly connected are given the skills and equipment to obtain the most out of it. I'm curious to hear about other successful models and what the federal government should be doing to promote these efforts.

In light of this, it seems absurd to me that some states are considering (or have already passed) measures that make it difficult or impossible for local communities to build their own networks. I think it's time to pass a federal law specifically allowing local communities to form partnerships to solve the issues of the digital divide. I think it's also vital that we work to provide policymakers and citizens with more detailed information about community access to broadband.

In the past, when we thought of the "public airwaves" we were considering radio and television. Not anymore. With the emergence of Wi-Fi technology, we've witnessed numerous new opportunities to supply affordable, universal access to the Internet for those have been off the broadband map for too long.

A couple of innovative proposals are being considered today. Many cities, even ones with lots of over-the-air broadcasters, have enough airwave `space' that could supply inexpensive Wi-Fi (or perhaps even emerging Wi-Max) internet access.

In addition, as part of the transition to digital TV in 2009, certain television broadcasters will be leaving behind their present frequencies. The FCC is in the process of deciding what to do with this spectrum. Usually, they auction them off to the highest bidder. But these airwaves are special: unlike the so-called "junk bands" Wi-Fi technologies currently utilize, these have the ability to penetrate obstacles that "junk band" frequencies cannot.

How we make these airwaves serve the most people most effectively is what's being decided now.

They're your airwaves. What are the most promising ways to utilize this valuable resource?

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