Testimony

This testimony was given in Jackson Mississippi at a conference organized by the Center for Social Inclusion and the Mississippi Chapter of the NAACP. The event was entitled BUILDING OPPORTUNITY THROUGH BROADBAND: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NATIONAL BROADBAND PLAN.

On January 29, 2010, the organizations partnered with the Office of Congressman Bennie G. Thompson, Jackson State University, Full Spectrum South, the Center for Technology, Innovation & Community Engagement at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University and Tougaloo College to host "Building Opportunity through Broadband."

The hearing focused the attention of policymakers, press and the broader public on the urgent need for accessible and affordable broadband in Mississippi’s Delta region. Representatives of private sector providers spoke about the various mechanisms for providing broadband service and the challenges involved in deploying to rural areas. Witnesses from leading research institutions and non-profits such as the University of Mississippi, the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the Mississippi Technology Alliance, shared lessons they had learned in designing and implementing sustainable initiatives. In addition, a panel of experts with experience in education, public health and economic development testified about how, with increased access to broadband, they could develop new and more effective approaches to persistent challenges.

My testimony is available here.

The publication that came out of the hearing can be located here.