Table of Contents

Connecting America: The National Broadband Plan

• List of Exhibits 77
• Preface 99
• Executive Summary 1111
• Chapter 1: Introduction 1717
• Chapter 2: Goals for a High Performance America 2323
• Chapter 3: Current State of the Broadband Ecosystem 2929
• • 3.1 Applications 3232
  • 3.2 Devices 3434
  • 3.3 Networks 3434
  • 3.4 Adoption and Utilization 3939
• Part I -- Innovation and Investment 4343
• Chapter 4: Broadband Competition and Innovation Policy 4949
• • 4.1: Networks 5252
  • 4.2 Devices 6565
  • 4.3 Applications 6868
  • 4.4 Competition for Value Across the Ecosystem 7474
  • 4.5 Transition from a Circuit-Switched Network 7575
  • 4.6 Leveraging the Benefits of Innovation and Investment Internationally 7575
• Chapter 5: Spectrum 8989
• • 5.1 The Growth of Wireless Broadband 9292
  • 5.2 Ensuring Greater Transparency Concerning Spectrum Allocation and Utilization 9595
  • 5.3 Expanding Incentives and Mechanisms to Reallocate or Repurpose Spectrum 9797
  • 5.4 Making More Spectrum Available Within the Next 10 Years 100100
  • 5.5 Increasing the Flexibility, Capacity and Cost Effectiveness of Spectrum for Point-to-Point Wireless Backhaul Services 109109
  • 5.6 Expanding Opportunities for Innovative Spectrum Access Models 110110
  • 5.7 Taking Additional Steps to Make U.S. Spectrum Policy More Comprehensive 112112
• Chapter 6: Infrastructure 123123
• • 6.1 Improving Utilization of Infrastructure 125125
  • 6.2 Maximizing Impact of Federal Resources 130130
• Chapter 7: Research and Development 135135
• Part II -- Inclusion 143143
• Chapter 8: Availability 149149
• • 8.1 The Broadband Availability Gap 152152
  • 8.2 Closing the Broadband Availability Gap 154154
  • 8.3 Universal Service 156156
  • 8.4 Other Government Actions to Promote Availability 168168
• Chapter 9: Adoption and Utilization 181181
• • 9.1 Understanding Broadband Adoption 184184
  • 9.2 Addressing Cost Barriers to Broadband Adoption and Utilization 187187
  • 9.3 Addressing Digital Literacy Barriers to Broadband Adoption and Utilization 190190
  • 9.4 Addressing Relevance Barriers to Broadband Adoption and Utilization 194194
  • 9.5 Addressing Issues of Accessibility for Broadband Adoption and Utilization 197197
  • 9.6 Expanding Federal Support for Regional Broadband Capacity-Building, Program Evaluation and Sharing of Best Practices 198198
  • 9.7 Coordinating with Tribes on Broadband Issues 200200
  • Part III -- National Purposes 207207
• Chapter 10: Health Care 213213
• • 10.1 The Promise of Health IT and the Role of Broadband 216216
  • 10.2 The Need for Action: Maximizing Health IT Utilization 218218
  • 10.3 Closing the Broadband-Enabled Health Adoption Gap 220220
  • 10.4 Unlocking the Value of Data 223223
  • 10.5 Closing the Health IT Broadband Connectivity Gap 225225
• Chapter 11: Education 239239
• • 11.1 Supporting and Promoting Online Learning 243243
  • 11.2 Unlocking the Power of Data and Improving Transparency 249249
  • 11.3 Modernizing Educational Broadband Infrastructure 251251
• Chapter 12: Energy and the Environment 261261
• • 12.1 Broadband and the Smart Grid 265265
  • 12.2 Unleashing Innovation in Smart Homes and Buildings 269269
  • 12.3 Sustainable Information and Communications Technology 273273
  • 12.4 Smart Transportation 274274
• Chapter 13: Economic Opportunity 279279
• • 13.1 Supporting Entrepreneurship and America's Small Businesses 282282
  • 13.2 Job Training and Workforce Development 286286
  • 13.3 Promoting Telework 288288
  • 13.4 Local and Regional Economic Development 289289
• Chapter 14: Government Performance 297297
• • 14.1 Improving Connectivity Through Government Action 300300
  • 14.2 Improving Government Performance 301301
• Chapter 15: Civic Engagement 313313
• • 15.1 Creating an Open and Transparent Government 316316
  • 15.2 Building a Robust Digital Media Ecosystem 318318
  • 15.3 Expanding Civic Engagement Through Social Media 321321
  • 15.4 Increasing Innovation in Government 322322
  • 15.5 Modernizing the Democratic Process 322322
• Chapter 16: Public Safety 327327
• • 16.1 Promoting Public Safety Wireless Broadband Communications 330330
  • 16.2 Promoting Cybersecurity and Protecting Critical Infrastructure 336336
  • 16.3 Leveraging Broadband Technologies to Enhance Emergency Communications with the Public 339339
• Chapter 17: Implementation and Benchmarks 347347
• • 17.1 Implementation 349349
  • 17.2 Benchmarking 351351
  • 17.3 The Legal Framework for the FCC's Implementation of the Plan 353353
  • 17.4 Conclusion 354354
• Appendices 357357
• Appendix A: BTOP Progress Assessment 359359
• Appendix B: Common Abbreviations 363363
• Appendix C: Glossary 367367
• Appendix D: List of Workshops and Field Hearings 371371
• Appendix E: List of National Broadband Plan Contributors 373373