Broadband is the great infrastructure challenge of the early 21st century. Broadband is a foundation for economic growth, job creation, global competitiveness and a better way of life. The number of Americans who have broadband at home has grown from 8 million in 2000 to nearly 200 million last year. But. 100 million Americans do not have broadband at home. In early 2009, Congress directed the FCC to develop a National Broadband Plan to ensure that every American has ¿access to broadband capability.¿ This plan must also include a strategy for achieving affordability and maximizing use of broadband. The plan presented here ensures that the entire broadband ecosystem ¿ networks, devices, content and applications¿ is healthy. Illus.

This is the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA's) annual report. It explains what FHWA does and how it works to create and maintain the best transportation system in the world. For more than 100 years, the FHWA has concentrated on building and repairing the highway infrastructure. In the last decade of the 20th century, FHWA's role expanded dramatically and is now reflected in five strategic goals: Safety, Mobility, Productivity, Human and Natural Environment, and National Security. The report begins with opening words by Kenneth R. Wykle, Federal Highway Administrator, continues with a brief historical perspective and comments on the status of FHWA at the beginning of the 21st century. The five goals are then examined individually and their accomplishments enumerated. Concluding sections provide information on FHWA's reorganization in 1999, FHWA's financial statement, and a directory of FHWA Headquarters, Resource Centers, Division Offices, and Federal Lands Highway Division Offices.

A long history of migration, trade, and shared interests links China to Latin America and the Caribbean. Over the past twenty years, China has increased direct investment and restructured trade relations in the region. In addition, Chinese public sector enterprises, private companies, and various branches of the central government have planned, developed, and built a large number of infrastructure projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, such as dams, roads, railways, energy grids, security systems, telecommunication networks, hospitals, and schools. These projects have had a profound impact on local environments and economies and help shape the lived experiences of individuals. Each chapter in this volume examines how the impact of these infrastructure projects varies in different countries, focusing on how they produce new forms of global connectivity between various sectors of the economy and the resulting economic and cultural links that permeate everyday life.

Connecting Canadians examines the role of community informatics, or community-based ICT initiatives, in this process of transition. The Community Research Alliance for Community Innovation and Networking (CRACIN) set out to study how civil society groups--in locations ranging from Vancouver to Labrador and from remote Northern communities to Toronto and Montréal--sought to enable local communities to develop on their own terms within the broader context of federal and provincial policies and programs. Drawing on diverse theoretical perspectives, from sociology to library and information sciences to women's studies, the essays not only document specific local initiatives but analyze the overall trajectory of the government's vision of a digitally inclusive Canada.

Imagine sitting in a basket dangling thousands of feet above the ground drilling a hole into the side of mountain. Then you have to stuff that hole with dynamite and get out of the way before it explodes. This dangerous work was just part of the job for the men who built the Transcontinental Railroad. Lively language, historical photos and illustrations, and primary accounts help readers understand the dangers the workers faced every day while building the Transcontinental Railroad. Meets Common Core critical thinking standards, and provides strong ties to social studies standards on westward expansion.