Networking Jobs Abound

According to the online blog ArsTechnica, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation met with FCC broadband coordinator Blair Levin, on October 5th 2009. The purpose of that meeting was to provide a cost estimate for one of the Foundation's ideas: running fiber optic cables to every "anchor institution" in the US—libraries, hospitals, community colleges, public schools. The FCC estimates that the entire project could be completed for $5-$10 billion.

It seems that the FCC was intrigued by the idea of running fiber to these "anchor institutions" and is now asking for public comments about the cost and viability of such an undertaking. The Gates Foundation has identified 123,000 "anchor institutions" in local communities that could make good use of fiber Internet connections.

In addition to serving the community that comes to each institution, the idea is also to run fiber into the center of every community in the country, with the goal of making it easier to then expand Internet access to homes and businesses in the community.

See COMMENT SOUGHT ON COST ESTIMATES FOR CONNECTING ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS TO FIBER