Thanks to Allison Ahcan at the Blandin Foundation for sending me the following note from Grantmakers in Film and Electronic Media. With their kind permission I’m going to post it pretty much asis. I had seen some of these resources and article – but not all of them I and really enjoyed the Guiding Principles for Rural Broadband where they talk a lot about policy issues and the need for local ownership and access to white spaces in rural areas…

Guiding Principles for Rural Broadband
Broadband access is an urgent issue in communities across the United States, with far-reaching implications for healthcare, economic development, education, public safety and culture. Wally Bowen, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Mountain Area Information
Network (MAIN) in Asheville, N.C, summarizes the dialogue that has emerged from the Rural
Assembly in a brief document available at GFEM.org.

Rural Broadband / Resources for Funders GFEM is pleased to offer this roundup of resources for funders on the topic of rural broadband access and policy:

• Guiding Principles for Rural Broadband
• Obama and McCain on Rural Broadband Policy 
• Unused TV Channels offer Important Opportunities For Rural Communities [Ann’s note: sorry this resources seems to be gone; I’ll leave the link in case it’s temporarily gone.
• Background: Notes from 9/10 GFEM call “Universal Broadband: Prospects for Equity and Economic Development in ’09“
• “Scholars Stew Over Rural Broadband’s Benefit” – from The Daily
  Yonder

What Funders Can Do Next:

* National Broadband Strategy Summit – Scheduled for early ’09, this national strategy session will help inform the new administration and Congress’ policymaking. Needs additional funding and participation. Contact Jim Kohlenberger.

* State level work – Seek out a broadband deployment council in your state. Contact Julie at Progressive States jschwartz@progressivestates.org.  

* Fund advocacy and research on broadband issues – Contact Jeff Perlstein at GFEM.

* Learn more – Visit the websites of Benton, Native Public Media, Progressive States, Free Press, GFEM, New America Foundation, Center for Rural Strategies, MAIN.

* Contact us at GFEM to discuss further opportunities and have your questions answered.