Digital Expansion Initiative

On Thursday, Novemember 20th at 9pm, Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN) will air "The Internet is Serious Business." People's Production House worked with CUP Teaching Artist Helki Frantzen and students from City-As-School to produce this investigation into the physical infrastructure that undergirds the Internet. Check it out in Manhattan on Channel 34.

People's Production House commends the Federal Communication Commission on their vote to allow unlicensed access to the unused portion of the television airwaves know as white spaces. The FCC's 5 to 0 vote in favor of opening the white space spectrum is a significant step towards delivering lower-cost, high speed Internet across the nation. It will help to close the gap between those who have Internet and those who do not.

Rural and urban groups who work on digital divide and media access with remote and traditionally marginalized communities are telling the FCC their constituencies would be harmed by further delay in the Commission's vote on “white spaces.” They want the FCC to reject pressure from broadcast lobbyists who are trying to extend a process that has already dragged on for nearly five years.

Written Testimony of Joshua Breitbart, Policy Director, People's Production House, before the New York City Council Committee on Technology in Government on the topic of "Requiring that all public meetings be webcast (Prop. Int. No. 533-A)”

On October 28, People's Production House, along with Media Alliance, Media Mobilizing Project, and the Texas Media Empowerment Project, submitted a comment to the Federal Communications Commission regarding the white spaces proceeding. In it, we urge the Commission to act quickly to approve unlicensed mobile devices to operate in the television white spaces. The comment is below and is also available as a PDF. If you would like to submit your own comment on this matter, you can do so until Friday, October 31 using the FCC's online form.

City Council tries to halt new technology that could close the digital divide. Community advocates react.

Advocates for closing the digital divide condemned a City Council resolution urging the Federal Communications Commission to delay a decision concerning the unused part of the airwaves known as “white spaces.” The FCC has announced its intention to issue a ruling at a November 4 meeting.

Broadband Internet service is available for nearly every house in New York City, yet less than half have adopted it. Barely a quarter of low income households pay for a high speed connection at home.

As PPH Policy Director Joshua Breitbart explains in this audio clip, Internet access on mobile phones brings connectivity to people where they  are on devices that they have already decided to pay for. This is a better way to get people online than trying to convince them to buy a new machine and pay for a new service.

• produced by Joshua Breitbart
• in 2008

At the City Council hearing on the white spaces resolution, Committee Chair Gale Brewer asked about the cost of white space devices. Dana Spiegel from NYCwireless explained that, like most new technology, the cost would start high then go down over time. PPH Policy Director Joshua Breitbart pointed out that the true cost would actually be a savings compared to what we spend now for Internet access and mobile phone calls. In this audio clip, he explains how delivering Internet connectivity to people's mobile phones is the most effective way to close the digital divide between those with high speed Internet access at home and those without.

Good morning. My name is Joshua Breitbart. I am the Policy Director of People's Production House. People's Production House provides young people, immigrants, and low-wage workers with a comprehensive education for the information age, combining media production, media literacy and media policy. We work in public schools and with community organizations in all five boroughs.

Resolution urging the Federal Communications Commission to implement regulatory amendments that would allow portable devices to operate on the white space radio spectrum in order to close the digital divide and stimulate investment in new technology without  negatively impacting television broadcasters, performing artists, professional sports leagues, and all incumbent wireless microphone users.

New York – Community media and immigrant rights advocates are calling on City Council to endorse “white space devices,” a new technology that would boost the economy and drive down the cost of mobile phone calls and Internet access.

The Indypendent newspaper asked me to write an article for their October 3 issue explaining the importance of white spaces. (Updated following the hearing.)

---

On Wednesday, September 24, City Councilmember Gale Brewer and Speaker Christine Quinn introduced a resolution urging the Federal Communications Commission to refrain from certifying white space devices, which the resolution claims would be "devastating" to "the incomparable mystique and excitement of the City of New York’s theatre district" and would "[jeopardize] the health and safety of performers, technicians and stagehands."