News for and about the Internet2 community

[Lauren Rotman <>]

EDUCAUSE and Internet2 Join Broad Coalition In Support of a National  
Broadband Strategy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – December 10, 2008 – EDUCAUSE and Internet2 today  
announced they have joined the U.S. Broadband Coalition. The coalition  
issued a "call to action" on Capitol Hill last week urging President- 
elect Barack Obama and Congress to make broadband a national priority  
in 2009.

Representing a diverse and often contentious array of America's  
communications providers, high-tech companies, manufacturers,  
consumers, labor unions, public interest groups, educators, state and  
local governments, utilities, content creators, foundations, and many  
other stakeholders in America's broadband future, the coalition  
unveiled an agreed-upon framework for what a national broadband  
strategy should look like. They will continue to work together to  
deliver a more detailed plan in the spring of 2009.

Of this latest effort, EDUCAUSE President Diana Oblinger said,  
"America's colleges and universities have taken advantage of high- 
speed networks to dramatically improve education, revolutionize  
research, and spur innovation and economic development. Our nation  
must now extend these and the other benefits of broadband networking  
to all members of society as a critical matter of national policy."

"The Internet2 community is today living in the future of the  
Internet. In order for all Americans to participate in this same  
environment and to reclaim our leadership role in the Internet  
economy, federal legislation must promote the widespread availability  
of next-generation broadband networks," said Gary Bachula, Internet2  
vice president of external relations. "We urge President-elect Obama  
and Congress to take immediate action to make broadband policy a  
priority to ensure our economic viability in the rapidly advancing  
Information Age."

View details of the proposal and the coalition:
http://www.newamerica.net/events/2008/national_broadband_strategy_call_action

Earlier this year EDUCAUSE released a report titled "A Blueprint for  
Big Broadband," which calls for the creation of a new federal  
Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) that, together with matching funds from  
the states and the private and/or public sector, should be used to  
build open, big broadband networks of at least 100 Mbps (scalable  
upwards to 1 Gbps) to every home and business by 2012.

View the full report: http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EPO0801.pdf

ABOUT EDUCAUSE
EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association and the foremost community of IT  
leaders and professionals committed to advancing higher education.  
EDUCAUSE programs and services are focused on analysis, advocacy,  
community building, professional development, and knowledge creation  
because IT can play a transformative role in higher education.  
EDUCAUSE supports those who lead, manage, and use information  
technology through a comprehensive range of resources and activities.  
For more information, visit www.educause.edu

ABOUT INTERNET2
Internet2 is the foremost U.S. advanced networking consortium. Led by  
the research and education community since 1996, Internet2 promotes  
the missions of its members by providing both leading-edge network  
capabilities and unique partnership opportunities that together  
facilitate the development, deployment and use of revolutionary  
Internet technologies. Internet2 brings the U.S. research and academic  
community together with technology leaders from industry, government  
and the international community to undertake collaborative efforts  
that have a fundamental impact on tomorrow's Internet. For more  
information: http://www.internet2.edu

Contacts:
Wendy Wigen
Government Relations Officer
EDUCAUSE

(202) 331-5372

Peter B. DeBlois
Director, Programs and Media Relations
EDUCAUSE

(303) 544-5665

Lauren Rotman
Internet2

(202) 331-5345