[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 203 (Thursday, October 22, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54549-54550]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-25447]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration


Broadband Data Transparency Workshop

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
U.S. Department of Commerce

ACTION: Notice of Public Meeting.

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SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA) will host a public meeting regarding data related to broadband 
Internet access that the agency collects, data needs of researchers, 
and future broadband research.

DATES: The meeting will be held on October 30, 2009, from 1:00 p.m. to 
3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the U.S. Department of Commerce, 
National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 1401 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Herbert C. Hoover Building, Room 4830, 
Washington, DC 20230 (please enter at 14th Street). The disability 
accessible entrance is located at the 14th Street Aquarium Entrance. 
Any change in the location will be posted on NTIA's website 
(www.ntia.doc.gov) prior to the meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information regarding the 
meeting, contact James McConnaughey, NTIA, at (202) 482-1880 or 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cb8186a888a4a5a5aabeaca3aeb28ba5bfa2aae5afa4a8e5aca4bd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6c26210f2f0302020d190b0409152c0218050d4208030f420b031a">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: President Obama is committed to the 
expansion of broadband Internet access across the United States as a 
necessary part of the foundation for long term economic stability and 
prosperity.\1\ The National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration (NTIA) is the President's principal adviser on domestic 
and international communications policies pertaining to the Nation's 
economic and technological advancement. In order to achieve the 
technology and broadband

[[Page 54550]]

goals of the Administration, NTIA is working with the Federal 
Communications Commission (FCC), the Department of Agriculture's Rural 
Utilities Service (RUS), and other stakeholders to develop and 
implement economic and regulatory policies that foster broadband 
Internet access deployment and adoption. Current and detailed data on 
broadband Internet use and access by U.S. households is critical to 
allow policymakers not only to gauge progress made to date, but to 
identify problem areas.
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    \1\ See Guiding Principles, ``Innovation in the Economy: Drive 
Economic Growth and Solve National Problems by Deploying a 21\st\ 
Century Information Infrastructure,'' http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/technology.
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    The purpose of the public meeting is to provide information to the 
research community regarding the type and availability of broadband 
data that may be made publicly available for use by the research 
community, and to hear from this research community with respect to 
their data needs. NTIA is authorized to conduct studies and evaluations 
concerning communications research and development and for 15 years, 
has developed and analyzed Internet data (including more recently the 
high-speed variety). These activities have provided essential data for 
prudent policymaking in this area, including fueling the needs of the 
research community whose work could be invaluable inputs for sound 
policies. NTIA currently collects broadband related data from several 
sources. Pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 
(Recovery Act) and the Broadband Data Improvement Act (BDIA), two 
broadband initiatives within NTIA, the Broadband Technology 
Opportunities Program (BTOP) and the State Broadband Data and 
Development Grant Program (State Broadband Data Program), are 
accumulating a variety of data.\2\ Under the State Broadband Data 
Program in particular, this includes data that will populate a 
comprehensive, interactive, and searchable nationwide inventory map of 
existing broadband service capability and availability in the United 
States that depicts the geographic extent to which broadband service 
capability is deployed, available, and adopted from a commercial or 
public provider throughout each State.\3\
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    \2\ Broadband Data Improvement Act, Pub. Law No. 110-385, 122 
Stat. 4096, section 106(b) (2008). The Secretary delegated his 
authority to meet the obligations of section 106 of the BDIA to the 
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information on April 9, 
2009.
    \3\ Recovery Act, section 6001(l), 123 Stat. at 516.
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    In October 2009, the Census Bureau collected through the Current 
Population Survey (CPS) data based on questions that NTIA sponsored and 
developed to provide up-to-date information on the extent of U.S. 
broadband adoption and the major reasons why current non-users choose 
not to adopt. Data have been generated by several demographic and 
geographic categories and must be weighted and appropriately aggregated 
before release. Census periodically releases public use files 
containing the raw data collected.
    These various data may be made publicly available for use by the 
research community to conduct economic, financial, demographic, and 
other studies. Such release, however, may be limited by such Federal 
disclosure laws as the Freedom of Information Act and the Trade Secrets 
Act.
    Specific information regarding the status of and data from specific 
applications for the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) 
and the State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program (State 
Broadband Data Program) will not be discussed at the meeting.
    Matters to Be Considered: The meeting will include a discussion of 
the following topics:
    1. The types and frequency of broadband Internet access data that 
NTIA can compile through its ongoing programs and research that will be 
useful to the research community. For example, NTIA has categories of 
data from the BTOP and State Broadband Data Program and is gathering 
information through the next CPS that may be useful to the research 
community;
    2. The current sources of data available to the research community 
for research related to broadband Internet access;
    3. The economic, social, policy, or other areas that research 
related to broadband Internet access can inform;
    4. The emergent themes, trends, and new directions within the 
research community regarding broadband Internet access data;
    5. The data format preferred by researchers including those for 
distributing broadband-related data on the Web to promote maximum 
transparency for researchers and the interested public; and
    6. The legal requirements regarding the agency's collection of and 
dissemination of data from third parties.
    Time and Date: The meeting will be held on October 30, 2009, from 
1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The times and the agenda 
topics are subject to change. The meeting may be webcast. Please refer 
to NTIA's web site, http://www.ntia.doc.gov, for the most up-to-date 
meeting agenda and webcast information.
    Place: The meeting will be held at the U.S. Department of Commerce, 
1401 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room 4830, Washington, DC 20230. The 
meeting will be open to the public and press on a first-come, first-
served basis. Space is limited. Attendees should bring a photo ID and 
arrive early to clear security. The public meeting is physically 
accessible to people with disabilities. Individuals requiring 
accommodations, such as sign language interpretation or other ancillary 
aids, are asked to notify Mr. McConnaughey at (202) 482-1880 or 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f9b3b49aba969797988c9e919c80b9978d9098d79d969ad79e968f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2862654b6b474646495d4f404d5168465c4149064c474b064f475e">[email protected]</span></a>, at least five (5) business days before the 
meeting.

    Dated: October 19, 2009.
Kathy D. Smith,
Chief Counsel, National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration.
[FR Doc. E9-25447 Filed 10-21-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-S


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