Attendees of the Fall 2010 Internet2 Member Meeting in Atlanta will hear firsthand from Lawrence E. Strickling, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, and Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). As the agency principally responsible for advising the President of the United States on communications and information policies, the NTIA has been charged with administering the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP), with the goal of expanding broadband access and adoption across the U.S. The research and education community that makes up the Internet2 membership has been a major recipient of BTOP funding aimed at jumpstarting the expansion of broadband capabilities to community anchor institutions across the U.S. Strickling's talk will highlight this important program.

Lev Gonick, CIO and vice president at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, will follow Strickling and will be spotlighting the university's visionary "Case Connection Zone" project, which is bringing gigabit fiber connections to homes in underserved and impoverished Cleveland neighborhoods.

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University believe broadband, along with training, computers and other broadband-enabled devices, may be a critical factor in improving the lives of these neighborhoods' residents. In collaboration with 40 community partners -- including health care providers, public safety agencies, educational institutions and industry -- the project aims to evaluate the impact that 1 Gbps broadband access to the home has on neighborhood and community safety, health care and wellness, energy management and sustainability, and improving high school-age student competency in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects.