The Digital Beat Extra is a free online news service provided by the Benton Foundation. Much like our Digital Beat Daily , Digital Beat Extras are intended to keep you up to date on important industry developments, policy issues, and other pertinent communications-related news events. Extras go beyond the headlines to get a deeper perspective of selected topics. We welcome your suggestions to cover issues related to the following topics. Nothing is more important to the success of democracy than robust systems of communications and education.
Communications bind society together.
Education expands its conscience. Without an effective system of communication, we cannot engage in collective action or acquire the inform- ation we need to make sound decisions. Without a strong system of education, we cannot cultivate citizens with the knowledge and skills they need to govern themselves. This sweeping innovation, which ensures students access to telecommunications services through schools and libraries, represents an enormous stride toward realizing the dream of universal access to the basic prerequisites of democracy. Network infrastructure deployment accelerated, and Internet access improved dramatically.