ISER Brown Bag features Prof. Heather Hudson's talk on rural broadband policies in Canada and the U.S. - Feb. 18, 2010

Thursday, Feb. 18, Noon-1 p.m.

Diplomacy Building, Fifth Floor conference room

Heather Hudson will review current policies and strategies designed to extend rural broadband access in Canada and the U.S., giving particular attention to initiatives relevant to Alaska. Professor Hudson became ISER's director in January 2010; this presentation is based on research she conducted in the fall of 2009, as Fulbright Visiting Policy Research Chair at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Both Canada and the U.S. have policy and regulatory mechanisms to address the need for Internet and broadband access in rural and remote regions. In 2009 both countries also allocated economic stimulus funds for broadband. Professor Hudson will provide an overview of:

• Key elements of rural broadband stimulus initiatives in the U.S. and Canada
• Roles of the U.S. and Canadian regulators
• Factors influencing adoption and use of broadband in rural areas
• Research needed to evaluate the effects of broadband investment and assess the contribution of broadband to social service delivery and economic productivity

Please join us to meet ISER's new director and learn about current efforts to extend broadband to rural areas in Alaska and elsewhere in the U.S. and Canada.

The Diplomacy Building is at 4500 Diplomacy Drive, at the corner of Tudor Road and Tudor Centre Drive. Parking is free. Call (907) 786-7710 if you need directions.