It has been less than 100 years since electricity became a necessity of modern society. Now, according to the Governor’s Office of Administration, a new technology has jumped from modern convenience to basic necessity. Today, broadband connections are used for everything from education to emergency response. On Sept. 20-21, the Pennsylvania Broadband Summit comes to the Radisson Penn Harris Hotel and Convention Center in Camp Hill, Cumberland County. The event hosts representatives from across the world of broadband, displaying the various aspects that high-speed internet touches in today’s world.
“The aim of the summit is to bring together in one central location folks who have a say in the future of this technology infrastructure,” says Governor Rendell’s Director of Broadband Initiatives Luc Miron. “We are expecting some folks and we’ll have some sessions as it relates to public safety, education, health care, economic development, some sessions addressing the needs of rural communities. We shot deliberately far and wide in terms of the target audience and in terms of the make-up of the speakers and panelists.”
After receiving a grant in January 2010, the Commonwealth began collecting broadband mapping data and identifying barriers to broadband adoption, ranging from topography to preventative cost and in some places a lack of interest due to religious or moral beliefs. Summit organizers hope to educate broadband stakeholders in how internet access can instantly improve quality of life for citizens in Pennsylvania’s many rural communities.
“In order to be able to advance and succeed, to learn, to earn, you need broadband,” says Miron. “Just like water and sewer was a central element of infrastructure investment at the turn of the 19th century and likewise the importance of bringing electricity to rural America in the 20th century, broadband is the next important infrastructure element, not only in Pennsylvania but across the U.S. It’s the great equalizer. Students and businesses and individuals have a better chance of success just from being online.”
Source: Luc Miron, Governor’s Office of Administration
Writer: John Steele