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Background The Universal Service Fund (USF), administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), provided communities with billions of dollars in telecommunications funding.  Since 1999, the fund has distributed close to 100 billion dollars.  The importance of USF in providing crucial communications services in high cost and low income areas, as well as rural health care facilities, schools and libra

Background The John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) is a Federal fee-for-service organization of the United States Department of Transportation (US DOT). The Volpe Center’s mission is to improve the nation’s transportation systems. In partnership with sponsoring agencies, the Volpe Center provides technical research and analysis services to the US DOT, other Federal agencies, state agen

Background Special access lines are dedicated high-capacity connections used by businesses and institutions to transmit their voice and data traffic. Wireless providers use special access lines to funnel voice and data from cell towers to wired telephone and broadband networks. Small businesses, governmental branches, hospitals and medical offices, and even schools and libraries use special access for the first leg o

Background The surging use of smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices is creating a “data crunch” in the spectrum allocated for mobile broadband. This increasing demand for data-hungry devices poses a major challenge to ensuring that the country’s wireless networks have the capacity to handle demand. The Incentive Auction of 600MHz (UHF) bandwidth is the most ambitious spectrum auction ever proposed. Expected

Background The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is a relatively new agency that helps consumer finance markets work by making rules more effective, by consistently and fairly enforcing those rules, and by empowering consumers to take more control over their economic lives. CFPB work to give consumers the information they need to understand the terms of their agreements with financial companies. In addition

Background The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates the nation’s largest integrated health care system, with more than 1,700 hospitals, clinics, community living centers, and other similar facilities.  The VA also provides financial assistance to Veterans, Service members, and their dependents.   The VA is in the process of modernizing its Computerized Patient Record System. This initiative will re

Background Much like transportation roadways and telephone line build-outs before it, broadband has the potential to drive significant economic growth.  Beyond its economic benefits, broadband has a cascading effect on many facets of society.  Improves the quality and lower the cost of health care through health IT and improved data capture and use Enables improvements in public education through e-learning and onlin

Background The FDA oversees the safety and efficacy of all over-the-counter and prescription drugs marketed and sold in the United States. With as many as 3 billion prescriptions written annually coupled with the inherent risks of drug use, close to one million adverse events were reported to the FDA in 2011. Improving our understanding of adverse reactions to drugs can considerably reduce not only injuries, deaths a