These are examples of how the TOPS program shows the possibiliities of community technology. You may not be aware of this work. The digital divide still exists and these are examples that bridge the gap. The call to ask for funding is below the examples.
EdgeNet Jessica Venegas Community Preservation and Development Corporation EdgeNet at Edgewood Terrace (www.EdgeNet.org) is a partnership between Community Preservation and Development Corporation (CPDC) and the Edgewood community to develop a formal community-driven and community-based residential network and website that brings in-home advanced information technology, capability, power and communication. This network is proving to be a powerful tool for transforming a population that initially was economically, socially, and politically powerless into a more educated, confident, vibrant, cohesive, self-reliant, and active community. With the implementation of the proposed residential network and an attached community empowerment program, residents are more technologically savvy and have the access, training, and support they need to be successful in life and join the economic mainstream. Broadband access is the backbone of other CPDC efforts to help the community gain greater control over the decisions that affect their lives. CPDCâs Career and Skill Enhancement programs have graduated over 1000 students who wished to acquire or upgrade the skills they needed to succeed in the IT field. In addition, CPDCâs Youth Development programs have infused technology into their experiential, standards-driven youth programs that operate in nine Capitol-area communities and reach over 400 children each year. This project is an attempt to save people with strokes using technology, training and medical know how. Max E. Stachura, M.D. Medical College of Georgia Center for Telehealth Clinical specialists frequently find themselves obligated to a location when their advice is needed immediately elsewhere. The separation may be within a hospital complex (different buildings), within a community or state (different hospitals, offices, or cities), or away from their duty location after hours. It may be impractical or even impossible for them to leave the location where they receive the call in order to provide the required advice and support. An appropriate PC may not be available at that location, especially if they are in transit. What they need to see might be graphic data, x-ray images, and/or a live video of the patient with interactive voice communication. Cliniciansâ ability to provide timely expert service to patients in need is greatly enhanced by a portable, wireless device that allows them to view the required information and remotely focus upon a âregion of interestâ within the displayed field or image, and at the same time enormously enhances efficiency and productivity. See slides from this presentation. http://apt.org/confer/( there are more examples here) On March 7, the Alliance for Public Technology sent the following letter to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in support of restoration of the NTIAâs Technology Opportunities Program. ÂAPT urges you to contact members of the Commerce Committee to voice your opinion before Thursday, March 10, the date set for Committee consideration of NTIA authorization.  *** March 7, 2005  The Honorable Ted Stevens Chairman Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation United States Senate 508 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510  Dear Chairman Stevens:  On Thursday, March 10, 2005, the Commerce Committee will meet to consider legislation to reauthorize the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (âNTIAâ). As part of this effort, the Alliance for Public Technology (âAPTâ)* strongly encourages you to support the continuation of NTIAâs Technology Opportunities Program (TOP). The permanent loss of this federal grant initiative would be a serious blow to our nationâs communities, as they struggle to achieve access to advanced telecommunications capability.  While the Administrationâs FY 2006 Budget again recommends that TOP not be funded, few programs can match the TOP model for enhancing public safety, overcoming digital inequities, and providing opportunities for communities to use technology as a means for social and economic growth. Given the Administrationâ s own goal of achieving affordable access to broadband by 2007, it is vital for Congress to continue to authorize and fund this cost-effective and productive program.  The most recent round of projects funded by TOP illustrates the importance of this grant program. Important community needs that FY 2004 grantees are addressing include: â Job training using WiFi and WiMax technologies â Broadband video conferencing for tribal telemedicine â Sensors and wireless broadband for fire detection in the California wilderness â IP-based video phones for language translations in hospital emergency rooms â Broadband and sensors for remote in-home monitoring of senior citizens â Broadband over power lines for remote in-home monitoring of children with asthma â Web-based training for emergency first responders â Broadband for minority and women-owned e-commerce businesses â WiFi connections for rural citizens with local governments â Internet-2 telehealth services for people with developmental disabilities â Computer simulations to manage urban evacuations â Research on emergency location identification for IP phones â Transmission of high resolutions images of burn victims  No other government program provides the competitive matching grants that serve as an incentive to encourage the use of broadband technologies in the public and non-profit sectors. Furthermore, the private sector has recognized the value of TOP, and companies that provided matching support in FY 2004 included Convio, Wavelength, KNS Communications, Microsoft, Cisco, Nortel, AT&T, SBC and Ambient Control.  In short, TOPâs mission of promoting the widespread availability of advanced telecommunications and information technology is far from complete, and APT respectfully requests that you and your colleagues continue to support this vital program.  Thank you for your consideration of our views.  Sincerely,  Daniel B. Phythyon Public Policy Director Alliance for Public Technology  CC: The Honorable Daniel Inouye  The Honorable John McCain  The Honorable Conrad Burns The Honorable Trent Lott The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison The Honorable Olympia Snowe The Honorable Gordon Smith The Honorable John Ensign The Honorable George Allen The Honorable John Sununu The Honorable Jim DeMint The Honorable David Vitter The Honorable John D. Rockefeller IV The Honorable John Kerry The Honorable Byron Dorgan The Honorable Barbara Boxer The Honorable Bill Nelson The Honorable Maria Cantwell The Honorable Frank Lautenberg The Honorable E. Benjamin Nelson The Honorable Mark Pryor  ***  _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
