OpenGov - Open Government Brainstorm

Why Is This Idea Important?: High-speed digital networking (also known as "broadband") should concern open government advocates in two ways. First, one of the Administration's major goals is to bring high-speed networking to every resident of the country. Second, this goal is fundamental to the other goals in the Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government. Members of the public need continuous access to the Internet and the ability to handle video and sophisticated graphical displays in order to make full use of the resources provided in open government efforts. Why do I stress the local nature of these forums? All networking is (on one level) local. Given the limited resources available for any network deployment, and the trade-offs that must be made during plans, decision-makers need to take into account local demographics, geography, topology, social and economic priorities, and existing facilities. Here are just a few examples the many local issues typically considered: - Which neighborhoods are already relatively well-served or poorly served - Where it's cost-effective to string fiber, versus serving a neighborhood through a high-bandwidth wireless solution - Whether there are existing facilities and lines that could be repurposed or upgraded for high-speed networking - How many public funds to invest and which private firms to contract with to provide infrastructure or Internet service - Whether a non-essential service, such as wireless for spots where tourists or businesspeople congregate, could generate enough new jobs or revenue to be worth an investment - What public and private partners and sources of investment are available - Whether people in potential new markets have the desire and education to use new network services, and how to create the conditions under which the populations would use the services Innumerable issues like these require local knowledge and judgment. That is why many innovative and successful initiatives to provide digital networks have been launched by local governments or local private service providers. Local collaboration to promote network penetration can also build bonds that support local communities in other ways. The global reach of the Internet has long been stressed, but the role of digital networks in connecting people within geographical communities and improving their way of life may be even more important and is beginning to be recognized. Although complex, the issues are no more complex than many other issues being considered for implementation of the open government directive. With proper organization and support, community members could make these decisions and monitor their implementation. Local community forums also attract participants more easily than geographically distributed "communities of interest." People are likely to respond to the invitations of friends and neighbors, and to be more loyal to the forums when they know the participants personally. So local forums are good ways to initiate the general public to the notion of transparent and participatory governance. A note on current federal broadband initiatives The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) includes a Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP), operated through the NTIA, that creates a 4.7-billion-dollar program to promote broadband, particularly for unserved areas and populations. The implementation does not involve any of the innovative aspects of the open government directive, such as collaborative online forums and data exposed through open formats and APIs. Like other programs in ARRA, the focus on providing a fast economic stimulus led to a schedule that does not accommodate time to set up and accept comments in this manner. A public comment period was held from March 12 to April 13, 2009, and proposals must be submitted by September 2009. The FCC adopted the goal of expanding broadband access many years ago, and cites this goal in many opinions concerning competition. The FCC also continues to offer funds for broadband under the Universal Service Fund (USF), which was expanded by the 1996 Telecommunications Act to include Internet access. The USF does not involve public online forums or open data access. The FCC also plans to publish a national broadband plan by February 2010. Because the funds from BTOP will probably be disbursed by then, this plan could be a locus for the kinds of forums describes in this proposal. Quick disclaimer: broadband adoption is hard to measure--it depends on such fuzz factors as the minimum speed defined as "broadband," the difference between potential and usual speeds, and uncertainties about actual availability versus official penetration rates--but recent estimates suggest that half of the United States population has always-on, high-speed network access. Although this reflects a substantial increase in recent years, it still leaves the US behind many other developed nations. Further improvements will require more intensive planning and careful resource allocation, as we try to extend adoption to populations with fewer resources or geographical challenges. Summary of benefits: * When the public can evaluate the options available to their community and the trade-offs required, they can reach agreement on a digital networking policy that reflects the values of many constituents and communities. * Tools for measuring the impacts of different proposals can help everyone in the community agree on what trade-offs exist, and provide a factual basis for decision-making. * Technically trained members of the community can use the measurement and visualization tools on the forum to educate those who are less technically sophisticated and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to make valid and appropriate input. * Progress in implementation can be followed by the public, who can demand accountability in spending and results. * Collaboration in building local networks can lead to continued collaboration in using those networks to improve economic, educational, and policy initiatives in the communities. They can also give visitors the skills and interests to join larger, national efforts in fulfillment of the Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government, * Standardization and information sharing between communities can help later communities reach successful conclusions more quickly and with less wasted effort. * Finally, the public participation fostered by local forums can educate the public about telecommunications issues that have a national or even international scope, such as expanding major access points, fostering technological innovation, and changing national policies and laws.