Last week, the Knight Commission released a new policy paper — A sensible approach to universal broadband by Blair Levin. Here’s a breakdown of the book from the Knight web site. The paper offers sensible steps to take to increase broadband adoption and deployment.

I think adoption is where it’s at these days to reach folks who currently don’t have access. Earlier this week I was a presentation from Connected Nation that indicated that about 72 percent of Minnesotans use broadband from home. The key reasons given for not having broadband at home:

• Most folks don’t want or need a computer
• Too expensive
• Use computer someplace else
• Too complicated

Earlier in the month I heard from Jack Geller and the latest report on broadband in rural Minnesota. The numbers were very similar and Jack’s analysis was similar – to reach the last served (laggards) we’ll need to work on adoption. (There are some notable exceptions where broadband in not available, such as Cook County, which Jack’s report highlights.) I think adoption programs are generally an easy sell. In fact I thought the recent ITU report did an amazing job of detailing the potential value of broadband in terms of dollars and lives.

This report offers some constructive ideas for developing and/or supporting adoption – such as funding opportunities and adjusting past funding to support partnerships.

The trickier part of the equation is broadband deployment. I applaud the effort look at current funding. The report points out many ways that funding can be re-directed, saved or channeled from suiting old technologies to new. One thing that makes me nervous is the continued focus on 4 Mbps target speeds for rural areas…

As an initial matter, the paper proposes setting a target of assuring that all Americans have access to a network capable of delivering 4 Mbps actual download speed and 1 Mbps actual upload speed. To do so requires a fund of approximately $10 billion over 10 years.

The folks are Ars Technica wrote a piece that addresses this concern as well…

But as we’ve reported, key figures on Capitol Hill have been skeptical of the 100Mbps and 4Mbps goals. “What is the FCC’s rationale for a vision that appears to be firmly rooted in the second tier of countries?” asked Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) in a set of pointed questions for the agency. “Why did the plan settle on the download speed of 4MB by 2020?” added Senator Mark Begich (D-AK). “It seems a bit modest for a goal.”

I know that $10 billion is a lot of money – and I suspect shooting for higher broadband will cost more – but if we’re going to make an investment, let’s make an investment that support us, our children and even our grandchildren.