The SHLB Coalition advocates for policies and programs that enable anchor institutions to obtain and promote open, secure, high-quality broadband services to support connectivity and opportunity for all. The SHLB Coalition seeks to improve the quality of life of people across the United States by improving their access to broadband services through their community anchor institutions. Universal ac
cess to high-capacity broadband services can improve health care delivery, enhance educational achievement, promote energy efficiency, reduce traffic congestion, lower pollution, promote economic growth and stimulate job creation. Unfortunately, many anchor institutions cannot obtain adequate broadband services today. Broadband services are often priced too high, have insufficient capacity, are closed to interconnection with other networks, or are simply not available. Department of Commerce, which published the nation’s first National Broadband Map in 2011, found that anchor institutions are “largely underserved”. The Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition was created in 2009 in Washington, D.C. to help address the shortage of adequate broadband for anchor institutions and their communities across the country.[1] The SHLB Coalition is a broad-based organization of anchor institutions, commercial and non-profit broadband providers, foundations, public interest groups, and others that work together to develop and support policies to improve broadband connectivity for anchor institutions and their communities in all regions of the country – urban, suburban and especially rural. The SHLB Coalition is founded on the belief that, in a world of limited financial resources, deploying broadband networks to serve anchor institutions is an efficient and wise investment in the future. Deploying broadband to anchor institutions can improve broadband access to millions of people (low-income, elderly, migrants, etc.) who may not have broadband access. Anchor institutions can train people about broadband services and technologies, thereby stimulating broadband usage and demand. Furthermore, high-capacity “Middle Mile” broadband networks serving community anchor institutions can be used as “jumping off points” to serve surrounding residential and business consumers. Building high-capacity broadband to community anchor institutions serves many needs at relatively lower costs.
