Schools & Libraries
So far, efforts to put together a national broadband plan have mainly focused on bringing access to every home in America. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation worries that this risks leaving institutions in dire need of access behind. From Ars Technica:
The foundation tied to the Microsoft fortune has told the Federal Communications Commission that the government should spend more money on high-speed Internet upgrades for public libraries and schools. The FCC should make it easier to apply, too.
“A growing number of schools and public libraries cannot afford connectivity upgrades because of the inability to pay for one-time only installation, equipment and transport costs,” the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation warned the Commission on Wednesday. No big surprise that Gates is active in this area. Microsoft’s general focus when it comes to broadband stimulus questions is that resources should go to “anchor institutions”—libraries, schools, and hospitals.



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