Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

["Alan MacHett" <machett AT ibiblio.org>]

In the April issue of Architecture magazine, the editor's monthly letter
addresses a Congressional bill that will offer tax credits to developers
who include internet access capability in the construction of low-income
housing.  The bill is over a year old, stuck in committee it seems, but
apparently it has come to the fore again this election year.  The editor
repeats the arguments involved.

Internet access really isn't a necessity, in the sense of water and
electricity.  Given limited construction budgets, required internet access
will only decrease what can be spent on other, more crucial amenities. 
Who's going to pay the subscription fees?

On the other hand, unlike the mindless luxury of television, the Internet
is an interactive tool that allows us unparalleled access to information;
"...with the Internet's singular access to our public resources and
libraries (and its de facto dominance of a few basic social and commercial
functions) we find the medium taking on an essential role in our lives as
citizens."  He quotes a couple of statistics from a Department of Commerce
study on computer and Internet use.  "Even without these statistics, it's
hard to argue against Internet access when we're openly contemplating
online voting, and when some governmental functions are already
effectively unavailable to those who can't dial up the agencies' Web
sites."

The magazine's website -- http://www.architecturemag.com/ -- doesn't
contain the editorial, so I can't offer a link.  However, I was able to
find sites and links for the relevant information he presented.  It's
worth noting that the text of the legislation refers to "high-speed"
access.

I was going to say that I was undecided on this, but then I realized that,
really, the only necessity for broadband is either a phone line for DSL or
a cable connection for, well, cable.  I'm pretty sure these are already
standard build-ins, even for low-income housing.  I suppose my remaining
concern, then, revolves around the tax credits.  Are they a good thing? 
Obviously yes, for the businesses involved; but overall are they good for
the community or the nation?  The issue at hand is that, with the
inclusion of telephone or cable connections -- that is to say, by doing
absolutely nothing differently -- *every* project will qualify for this
tax credit.

-Alan

REFERENCES:

S.305.IS -- To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to include in the
criteria for selecting any project for the low-income housing credit
whether such project has high-speed Internet infrastructure:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:S.305:

Kentucky already passed a mandate:
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,57249,00.html?tw=wn_story_related

and Oregon (then Portland specifically) followed suit:
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2003/07/07/story1.html?t=printable
http://www.bizjournals.com/industries/high_tech/internet/2004/04/12/portland_focus3.html?t=printable

One Economy -- Bring IT Home Campaign:
http://www.one-economy.com/

U.S. Dept. of Commerce study, Feb. 2002;
A Nation Online:
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/html/toc.htm
"While notable differences remain in Internet use across income
categories, Internet use has grown considerably among people who live in
lower income households. Among people living in the lowest income
households (less than $15,000 annually), Internet use had increased from
9.2 percent in October 1997 to 25.0 percent in September 2001."
     - http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/html/Chapter2.htm

"Internet use has grown rapidly among those with lower levels of
educational attainment.  Internet use for adults with a Bachelor?s degree
and adults with and education level beyond a Bachelor?s degree grew at
annual rates of 13 and 9 percent, respectively from December 1998 to
September 2001.  Internet use among those with only a high school diploma
grew at an annual rate of 30 percent over the same period (Table 2-3)."
     - http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/html/Chapter2.htm

"Of the universe of Internet users, 10.0 percent of Internet users access
the Internet at a public library.  This proportion remained virtually
constant between August 2000 and September 2001.  Over one-half of the
population that uses the Internet at a public library is under age 25. 
Additionally, 14.0 percent of Internet users do not use the Internet at
home, school, or work...
"Internet access at public libraries is more often used by those with
lower incomes than those with higher incomes.  Just over 20 percent of
Internet users with household family incomes of less than $15,000 a year
use public libraries, and 6.1 percent of Internet users in this income
category do not use the Internet at home, work, or school.  As household
income rises, not only does the proportion of public library Internet
users decline, but also the percentage of Internet users without
alternative access points also declines."
     - http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/html/Chapter4.htm

"Because of the availability of school computers, overall computer use
rates among children of different racial and ethnic backgrounds is
comparable: 84.2 percent for Hispanic children, 88.8 percent for Black
children, 94 percent for Asian and Pacific Islander children, and 95.4
percent for White children....
"Schools also provide an important resource for Internet use for all
children, regardless of their background.  The levels of school-only
Internet use, however, are not as high as the levels of school-only
computer use.  As a result, the availability of the Internet at schools
does not compensate for disparities in home use to the same degree as
computer use in schools.
"As shown in Figures 5-9, 5-10, and 5-11, substantial differences in
overall Internet use remain between children of different backgrounds. 
Figure 5-9 demonstrates that nearly four times as many children (ages
10-17) go online only at school when they live in a household in the
lowest income category (20.8 percent) than at the highest income level
(5.0 percent).  However, overall school use still varies widely: 34.3
percent for children in the lowest income category, compared to 62.7
percent for children who live in the highest income households. 
Additionally, home Internet use is much higher for those who live in high
income households: 82.5 percent for children in families earning $75,000
and higher, compared to 21.4 percent for children in families earning
$15,000 and below.  For these reasons, overall Internet use among children
has a wider differential by income than computer use.  Children in
families at the lowest income level have an overall Internet use rate
about half that of children at the highest income level: 45.7 percent,
compared to 87.5 percent."
     - http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/html/Chapter5.htm

"Table 8-1 at the end of this chapter presents the complement to Table
2-2?descriptive statistics for those individuals who do not use the
Internet.  As the analysis in Chapter 2 shows, Internet use has expanded
dramatically in the United States, but a number of groups are more likely
not to be Internet users.  These non-users include:
"  - People in households with low family incomes ? 75.0 percent of people
who live in households where income is less than $15,000 and 66.6 percent
of those in households with incomes between $15,000 and $35,000.
"  - Adults with low levels of overall education?60.2 percent of adults
(age 25 +) with only a high school degree and 87.2 percent of adults with
less than a high school education.[1]
"  - Hispanics?68.4 percent of all Hispanics and 85.9 percent of Hispanic
households where Spanish is the only language spoken.
"  - Blacks?60.2 percent of Blacks."
     - http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/html/Chapter8.htm

=============================================================
For further topics of IT legislation:

from the Association for Computing Machinery;
Selected Information Technology Legislation of the 108th Congress:
http://www.acm.org/usacm/Legislation/TechLeg108th.htm

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