Internet for Everyone Town Hall Meeting

Here in Los Angeles where the weather is fine and the USC marching band does a earsplitting cheer and big brass wake-up call at 6am on the day of a football game. Due to time zone changes, I was already well awake -- but it was a bit surreal all the same. Meanwhile, we're gearing up for today's Internet for Everyone Town Hall meeting (more info below) where we'll be discussing consumer choice, openness on the Internet, affordability and access, and a host of other areas.

My role is going to be to take feedback from the audience and translate it into themes -- since we're expecting 150-200 people, it'll be interesting to see how quickly we can collect note cards, organize them, and provide useful aggregation. Here's more on the Internet for Everyone Town Hall meeting -- if you're in the LA area, feel free to stop on by:

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Jen Howard, InternetforEveryone.org, (202) 265-1490 x22 or (703) 517-6273
Lindsy Embree, InternetforEveryone.org, (630) 292-8347 (in Los Angeles)

TOMORROW: L.A. to Address Digital Divide at Interactive Town Hall
Rep. Maxine Waters to speak at public forum aimed at making Internet for everyone a national priority

WASHINGTON -- Tomorrow, InternetforEveryone.org -- a broad-based initiative to connect every American to a fast, open and affordable Internet -- will hold a town hall meeting in Los Angeles to discuss the digital divide. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) will address hundreds of participants at the interactive forum, the first in a nationwide series of public conversations about making universal Internet access a top priority of the Obama administration and new Congress.

WHAT: InternetforEveryone.org Town Hall Meeting
WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 6, 12:30 - 5:30 p.m. PT
WHERE: The Radisson at the University of Southern California, 3540 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles

High-speed Internet, or "broadband," is becoming a crucial public necessity -- with unprecedented social, economic and educational potential. But more than 40 percent of all U.S. homes are not connected to the Internet or use slow "dial-up" technology. In California, more than 16 million residents can't access or afford a high-speed Internet connection, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

"High-speed Internet is one of the most transformative technologies in human history," said Timothy Karr, campaign director of Free Press, the organizer of InternetforEveryone.org. "Yet millions of Americans across the country are being left behind in the digital world. Los Angeles' diverse and talented community offers the perfect place to kick off the push for Internet in every home and business in America."

InternetforEveryone.org is supported by more than 120 public interest organizations and industry groups, including: ACLU, American Library Association, BitTorrent, blip.tv, Center for Rural Affairs, Children Now, Computer & Communications Industry Association, Consumer Electronics Association, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Credo Mobile, Ebay.com, EDUCAUSE, Facebook.com, Free Press, Future of Music Coalition, Google, Green For All, InterActiveCorp, Media Alliance, National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors, National Hispanic Media Coalition, National Organization for Women, Native Public Media, New America Foundation, One Economy, OneWebDay, Participatory Culture Foundation, Public Knowledge, Skype, Sunlight Foundation, TechNet, TechRepublican, United Church of Christ, U.S. PIRG, Vuze, Writers Guild of America-East, Writers Guild of America-West, and YouTube, amongst others.

For more information, visit www.InternetforEveryone.org