GBP 2B pledged by Obama for boosting Rural Broadband
A sum of GBP 2 billion has been pledged by Barack Obama, the President of the United States of America for the development of rural broadband, according to a report by Reuter. The amount will be provided as grants and loans, and will be spend with a view to fund the broadband internet network of America to ensure better service to both the urban communities and rural areas.
As a matter of fact, Vice President of the United States of America, Joe Biden had announced the spending plan details in the previous week. According to the announcement made by the Vic President, an initial investment of $183 million would be made in broadband internet projects across seventeen states.
Interestingly, the chief economist of Biden, Jared Bernstein, even though could not precisely state the number of job opportunities created by the funding, it is expected to burgeon tens of thousand employment opportunities, according to the report.
The report further said that the officials of White House were aiming to connect in a better way to the USA’s internet backbone, the needy communities of the country. The Internet Backbone of the USA has been defined as a large network of fibre optic cables of high-bandwidth. The initiative is understood to be launched with aview to boosting the education and healthcare facilities, and enabling a great number of people in the country to benefit from the work from home option.
The news agency also reported that until now an amount of $121.6 million has been earmarked for building as well as enhancing broadband internet connections in communities lacking adequate access. To bring a better connection to the homes, schools and hospitals in the country, a further $51.4 million has been commitment. A fund of $7.3 million will be set aside for expanding general access to broadband internet in public spots such as libraries, and $2.4 million will be used for creating projects that promote internet-related benefits to people that were not internet savvy.
Almost two thirds of the people in the USA enjoyed broadband internet access at home, according to Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Still, one third of this group were found to have not adapted it, while a further four per cent lamented that they were not having access at their residing area.
On the other hand, in the United Kingdom, the Digital Britain minister has committed to the next generation super-fast fibre optic broadband rolling out to every household in the country. To realise this, Stephen Timms the minister has proposed the introduction of a GBP 6 a year broadband tax on every fixed phone line in the country, which will be used to fund the rollout. Alongside another promise made by the Labour government is also due, which is all about the rollout of a 2Mbps basic broadband service to every UK home that would be completed by 2012.
According to Timm’s estimation the broadband tax would raise GBP1 billion by 2017, which in its turn would ensure that ninety per cent of the Britons would enjoy next generation broadband internet services. It is understood that the tax would be a part of the Finance Bill of the next year.
