# Presentation: 209550

## EDUCAUSE Policy Conference 2004 

**Michael D. Gallagher**
- Acting Assistant Secretary
- U.S. Department of Commerce
- National Telecommunications and Information Administration
- www.nita.doc.gov
- May 20, 2004

## Overview

- About the NTIA
- Promoting Economic Growth
- The President’s Broadband Agenda
- Children in the Digital Age
- Protecting Children Online
- Dot Kids Act (_[www.kids.us](http://www.kids.us/)__)_
- Ratings Systems
- Education in the 21st Century
- No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
- Visions for Future Technologies

## NTIA & EDUCAUSE

- NTIA and EDUCAUSE share a working relationship on the management of the .edu top level domain.
- In October of 2001, the Commerce Department entered into an agreement with EDUCAUSE to manage the .edu top level domain space.
- Under the agreement, EDUCAUSE provides policy development and administrative services, including registry and registrar services, for .edu.
- The Department of Commerce is very pleased that this agreement has given the education community a greater ability to participate in the management of the .edu space and to ensure that the .edu domain is used to the greatest benefit of higher education in America.

## Overarching Goal:Promoting Economic Growth

- Thanks to the President’s policies, America is once again growing:
- U.S. economy grew at 4.2% in the first quarter of 2004; economic growth in second half of 2003 was the fastest in nearly 20 years.
- Payroll employment increased by 288,000 in April, with 1.1 million jobs created over the last eight months.
- There has been a sharp pickup in business spending on capital equipment.
- Homeownership is presently at its highest lever ever – 68.6 % in the first quarter of 2004.
- Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for March 2004 were $333 billion, an increase of 1.8% from the previous month and up 8.2% from March 2003.
- S&P 500 rose over 18% in 2003; Dow Jones Industrial Average increased more than 16%; the NASDAQ composite gained 45%.
- The President will not be satisfied until every American who **wants a job**  has a job.

## Universal, Affordable Access to Broadband by 2007

- Goal
*	**“**This country needs a national goal for broadband technology . . . universal, affordable access for broadband technology by 2007.”**	**	** –* President George W. Bush, Albuquerque, NM, March 26, 2004
- Government’s Role
*	*
*	**"The role of government is not to create wealth; the role of our government is to create an environment in which the entrepreneur can flourish, **	**in which minds can expand, in which technologies can reach new frontiers."*  		 *–* President George W. Bush, Technology Agenda, November, 2002.
*	**“**If you want something to be used more, you don’t tax it.”**	**	**– *President George W. Bush, Waco, TX  August 3, 2002

##   Creating Economic Conditions for Broadband Deployment 

- Tax relief has given businesses powerful incentives to invest in broadband technology.
- Accelerated depreciation for capital-intensive equipment.
- Extension of the Internet tax moratorium; support making the moratorium permanent.
- Extension of the research and experimentation tax credit; support making it permanent.
- The President’s requested R&D budget for FY05 is a record $132 billion.

## Rate of Broadband’s Diffusion is Strong... But Needs to Be Stronger 

- Source:  OECD 2003

**United States: Diffusion of consumer goods and communications services (5 % onwards)**

**Total Broadband Subscribers per 100 Inhabitants**

## Broadband Over Power Lines: Promoting Broadband Innovation

**“*****Broadband over power lines [BPL] holds promise to be the ‘Third Wire’ into American homes – a competitive, facilities-based, cost-effective new way to deliver high-speed Internet services to American citizens.”**** *
**- NTIA Acting Assistant Secretary Michael Gallagher**
- Principal concern is the risk that BPL systems might interfere with federal government radio communications or other state and private radio operators.
- FCC began BPL rulemaking on February 12, 2004.
- On April 27, 2004, NTIA published a report of Phase 1  research, measurement and analysis findings.
- Now NTIA is filing comments on the FCC’s proposed rules ...includes key analysis findings from Phase 2 study
- NTIA’s complete Phase 2 study report is targeted for release later this year.

**HomePlug Modem** can turn an electrical outlet into an Internet connection.

## Expanding Competition —  Wireless Broadband and New Technologies

**Advanced Wireless Services (“3G”)  **
- NTIA directed 90 new MHz of spectrum
**Ultra-wideband (UWB)**
- NTIA tested and analyzed UWB effects
- Result - Devices operate in over 7 GHz of spectrum at power levels so low that it effectively underlays some of the most congested frequencies
**5 GHz Spectrum**
- Additional 255 MHz of spectrum made available for shared unlicensed use
- Resolved a complex management issue that posed a potential barrier to the deployment of devices using 802.11(a) WiFi technology
**70/80/90 GHz**
- Web-based mechanism to coordinate of federal and non-federal operations
- Non-federal users can determine potential frequency conflict with federal users in a matter of minutes

*The Administration has made more radio spectrum available for wireless broadband technologies:*

## Children in the Digital Age

- According to an October 2003 Kaiser Family Foundation report, children spend as much time playing outside as they spend with TV, computers, and video games.
- The study found that children age six and under play outside (2.01 hours a day), about the same amount of time they use computers (1.58).  This time is well over the amount of time spent reading or being read to (39 minutes).
- Digital media have become an integral part of children’s lives.  Almost half (48%) of children six and under have used a computer, and about a third (30%) have played video games.
- Even children under the age of two are widely exposed to electronic media. Forty-three percent of those under two watch TV every day, and 26% have a TV in their bedroom.

## Bush AdministrationProtecting Children Online

- The Administration supports the broadest possible flow of information and content over the broadcast media and the Internet, but also recognizes the concerns of consumers regarding material deemed harmful or inappropriate for children.
- With respect to harmful content, the Administration promotes an industry-led, self-regulatory approach reinforced by enhanced consumer awareness and the widespread availability of technology to protect children.
- The Administration has taken steps in both traditional broadcast arena and the online world to protect children and families from harmful content.
- A nationwide child pornography investigation by the Department of Justice using Internet file-sharing networks resulted in 1,000 investigations and at least 65 arrests. (announced 5/14/04)
- A safe space for children on the Internet has been launched – _[www.kids.us](http://www.kids.us/)__.  The Dot Kids Act, enacted into law in 2002, has created a domain name space preventing children from being exposed to harmful material._

- On December 4, 2002, President Bush signed into law the Dot Kids Implementation and Efficiency Act of 2002 (Dot Kids Act) which established a safe space on the Internet for children under 13.
- The President hailed the Act as “a wise and necessary step to safeguard our children while they use computers and discover the great possibilities of the Internet.”
- Dot Kids hosts web pages that showcase information about arts and entertainment, computers and technology, sports and recreation, science and government, and much more.

## Current Sites onwww.kids.us

- Currently, Dot Kids is home to thirteen active websites, including:
- The Smithsonian Institute which hosts information about the Apollo 11’s mission to the moon and America’s Presidents and First Ladies;
- The General Services Administration which links to kid-friendly information about the U.S. Government such as how to be an FBI agent, or stories and advice written by military children for military children;
- A NOAA website teaching children about the hazards of severe weather such as tornadoes, lightning, hurricanes and winter storms; and
- An ABCKids web site featuring games and activities from their most popular Saturday morning cartoon line-up.

## DOJ Efforts to Protect Children Online

- "The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) considers online child pornography and child sexual exploitation to be the most significant cyber crime problem confronting the FBI that involves crimes against children.  Between fiscal years 1996 and 2002 the number of online child pornography and child sexual exploitation cases opened by the FBI went from 113 to 2,370, representing a 1,997 percent increase in just 6 years.“
- Using lessons learned from their investigations, the Justice Department created a guide entitled, “A Parents Guide to Internet Safety.”  This guide gives parents tips on protecting their children online, as well as a Cyber Tip-line to report inappropriate online use.

## Ratings Systems

|   | Show may include gratuitous sex, explicit dialogue, violent content, or obscene language, and is unsuitable for children. Appropriate for adult audiences only. |
| --- | --- |
|   | The show contains adult-oriented themes and dialogue that may be inappropriate for youngsters. Appropriate for jr. high schoolers and older. |
|   | Family-friendly show promoting responsible themes and traditional values. Appropriate for all Ages. |
|   | Not yet rated by the PTC. |

**Parent’s Television Council (PTC) Entertainment Tracking System**

**Motion Picture Association of America Rating System**

**Entertainment Software Ratings Board**

## No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

- The *No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 *is a landmark in education reform designed to improve student achievement and change the culture of America's schools.
- President Bush describes this law as the "cornerstone of my administration."  The President has further expressed, "Too many of our neediest children are being left behind.“
*No Child Left Behind *is built on four common-sense pillars:
- accountability for results;
- an emphasis on doing what works based on scientific research;
- expanded parental options; and
- expanded local control and flexibility.
- The Federal Pell Grant Program provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduate and certain post-baccalaureate students to promote access to postsecondary education.
- The President’s budget for 2004 increased Pell Grant funding to an all time high of $12.7 billion.
- The Administration considers this record investment as an opportunity to help nearly 4.9 million low- and middle-income Americans pursue higher education.

## The Administration’s Vision for Future Technologies 

- In September 2002, the Commerce Department published a report entitled, “2020 Visions: Transforming Education and Training Through Advanced Technologies”.
- The report provides a diverse array of views from leaders in industry, academia and government on how emerging technologies—in development today for a wide variety of applications—might be harnessed to revolutionize the education and training landscape.