The Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee will meet March 1, 2012 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Pacific Standard Time. The meeting will be held at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), Room 130, 366 Galvez Street, Stanford, CA 04305. The Committee will deliberate on the findings and recommendations from its four subcommittees (Search for 500 MHz, Spectrum Sharing, Spectrum Management Improvements, and Unlicensed), and identify future requirements for assessments.

CSMAC 03-01-2012 Meeting Notice

In today’s wireless world,  the demand for spectrum from consumers, businesses, and federal users continues to grow at a rapid rate.  In fact,  global mobile traffic nearly tripled in 2010, for the third year in a row.  At NTIA, a critical part of our work involves developing policies and processes to maximize the efficient use of spectrum – and this work is more important now than ever before.  In fact, Assistant Secretary Strickling has highlighted spectrum sharing as a key area for research and analysis if we are going to meet consumers’ and businesses’ growing demand for wireless broadband services in the coming years.

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When discussing digital literacy, most conversations center around people's initial contact with computers and learning how the Internet is relevant to their lives; the basics on how to obtain information, goods, and services online; and developing the threshold skills necessary to succeed in the digital economy.  These basic skills are building blocks for success, and are the focus of many of our Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP) projects.

Digital literacy is an ongoing process, however, and “advanced” digital literacy can have tremendous economic impacts – both from the perspective of the person learning marketable computer skills necessary to compete in today’s digital economy, and from the macroeconomic perspective in helping to realize the President’s vision of a more competitive America built to last.

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This week I had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion hosted by the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women, or NOBEL, that examined how broadband is helping to address many of America’s most pressing challenges.

A robust broadband infrastructure is critical for America to remain competitive in the 21st century. Broadband provides a foundation for innovation, job creation and economic growth. Broadband is also transforming healthcare by enabling patients in rural areas to consult with medical specialists hundreds of miles away. It is opening doors in education by allowing students to take online classes at universities across the country. And it is changing the way we communicate, form personal connections, access information, shop and conduct many everyday transactions.

The Obama administration is working to ensure that more Americans have the resources and skills to share in these benefits and opportunities. This is particularly critical in today’s job market, since many job openings are posted only online and since digital literacy skills are a requirement in many workplaces.

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This week we are happy to announce a new feature of the National Broadband Map that will make it easier to use on your mobile device. This new feature allows anyone on the go to more easily search broadband availability, summarize and rank data, and view a map of community anchor institutions — all optimized for their mobile device.