Many countries across the world have realized long before we did that access to high speed Internet offers significant social and economic advantages, and puts those without it at a severe disadvantage. A South Korean company is using the Internet to deliver videos that helps students prepare for college entrance exams. In the United Kingdom, the government has committed to raising every household's Internet speed to over 2 Mbps by 2012.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released the first quarterly report on the progress of the national broadband plan stipulated in the economic stimulus package. The report highlights the timetable for the grant application process and the beginning of a 7.2 billion-dollar federal investment in improving America's nationwide broadband services.

The Congressional Black Caucus issued a strong endorsement for increased funding of broadband deployment, as part of a series of recommendations on major U.S. policy areas for the 21st Century.

The Communication Workers of America, the Alliance for Digital Equality, and Connected Nation announced a groundbreaking partnership on Monday, April 27, 2009. The three leaders in broadband advocacy will work together to educate "the American consumer about the benefits of new broadband technologies, and retraining the workforce for new job opportunities in a variety of tech-related fields," according to a joint press release.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) held the first of six broadband stimulus roundtables at the Department of Commerce building in Washington, DC on March 16. The roundtables are designed to get public input on the rules the NTIA must write to implement the Broadband Technology Oppportunities grant program.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Rural Development (RUS), and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss how they would coordinate the dispersal of economic stimulus money for broadband projects.

As states are applying for the $7.2 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act set aside for broadband projects across the country, many are looking to Kentucky as a model.

Ohio is one of many states that is getting ready to tap into funding for broadband deployment in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Today the Senate passed its version of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, including $7 billion in broadband investment. While this represents a $2 billion cut for broadband from the original Senate proposal, it is still more generous than the $6 billion in the bill passed by the House of Representatives last month.

Last week, Minnesota took a step in the right direction towards achieving universal broadband access.