SCN: Digital Opportunity Investment Trust

[Steve]

x-no-archive: yes

======================

A Universal Library

by Lawrence K. Grossman, former president of NBC News and PBS, 
and Newton N. Minow, former chairman of the Federal 
Communications Commission and PBS.


(NY Times)---In the emerging information-based economy, 
Americans need access to knowledge and learning across a lifetime. 
Teaching workers new technology skills is as important as teaching 
farmers new agricultural skills was before the turn of the last 
century. But the Internet and digital communications are being 
largely wasted as a resource for the kind of broad education the 
future demands.  

While it might be a stretch to say that we are in danger of creating a 
vast digital wasteland, entertainment of marginal quality dominates 
commercial attempts on the Internet to reach a mass audience and, 
sad to say, the most consistently profitable sites deliver 
pornography. Meanwhile, the treasures in our libraries, schools and 
museums are locked away for want of money to make them digitally 
available to the full American audience.  

In the 18th century, the Northwest Ordinance set aside public land 
for primary schools. In the 19th century, Congress granted land to 
establish public universities. In the 20th century, the G.I. Bill 
profoundly expanded educational opportunities. We need a similar 
public investment to realize the potential of digital communication. 
Fortunately, there is a public financing source available.  

Today, among our most valuable and yet little known public assets 
are the frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum over which 
television and radio are broadcast and communication signals are 
sent. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the auctions of 
these public assets will raise $28 billion over the next 10 years. We 
propose using $18 billion from this windfall to make a digital gift to 
the nation: a public trust administered on the model of the National 
Science Foundation.  

It is easy to imagine some of what such a trust could make possible: 
Online literacy programs connecting adults with a virtual one-on-one 
"reading tutor." A digital model of the human body, from molecular 
structure to gross anatomy, for students and doctors. Universal 
access to nearly all important historical manuscripts, photographs, 
art and recordings now held in museums, libraries and archives. But 
there is potential for much more that we cannot yet imagine. It is the 
nature of technology to flourish when people with ideas are given 
time and support to develop them.  

Our idea for a Digital Opportunity Investment Trust already has 
backing from many educators, library and science officials, as well 
as executives of companies like Microsoft and Novell. Public, 
educational uses of the Internet and other digital communications 
technologies will not change their commercial vitality, but will make 
the online realm even more crucial in American life. We have the 
financial resources as a nation to make a sizable investment now, 
and Congress should act to make it happen.

Copyright 2001 The New York Times Company 






* * * * * * * * * * * * * *  From the Listowner  * * * * * * * * * * * *
.	To unsubscribe from this list, send a message to:
majordomo at scn.org		In the body of the message, type:
unsubscribe scn
==== Messages posted on this list are also available on the web at: ====
* * * * * * *     http://www.scn.org/volunteers/scn-l/     * * * * * * *