The FCC has unveiled plans of connecting students from over 20 schools and libraries to wireless internet at school/library and at home as well. The program is called ‘Learning On-the-Go’ and complements Obama Administration’s National Broadband Plan and National Education Technology Plan. Learning On-the-Go will bridge the gap between students with possibilities that have internet access at home and students without an internet connection at home.  The program will be tested in 14 states and will fund wireless broadband for ten laptop programs, two virtual schools, three handheld device programs, and five technology programs.

The FCC is currently going through some important changes, even at an executive level. But the organization is still a hotbed for web-related discussions, as access and services must get more involvement from a legal regulatory standpoint.  Last month, the House of Representatives voted to overturn the net-neutrality rules that the FCC proposed in December, considering the Commission has overstepped its bounds with its net neutrality regulations regarding transparency about the practices of broadband providers and wireless carriers; whether to allow providers to block access to competitors’ applications or sites; and whether all traffic should flow at the same speed, or faster access should be allowed for those willing to pay for it.

The Internet “does not need to be regulated by an unelected group of federal bureaucrats,” Rep. Cliff Stearns, a Florida Republican, said in a statement. “Net regulation will discourage investment and innovation precisely when we need it most, especially in light of our push to increase broadband deployment. The FCC should not stand in the way of Internet innovation and expansion.”

A similar program was undertaken by McGraw Hill in partnership with Wipro for the development of the mConnect platform, an open-standard mobile learning platform, a technical solution aimed at narrowing the skills gap in developing nations. The program will focus mainly on English-language training, as this is a prerequisite for almost any job in the global economy, and also on preparation for university entrance.  mConnect will be benefitted by students and workers as well in rural, low-income areas via mobile phones.

Another noteworthy initiative comes from IBM and its City Forward project, a free website that aims at improving the quality of life in cities of all sizes around the world. The content of the website comprises of statistics and trends in several domains, from education, safety, health, transportation, land use, utilities, energy, environment and personal income to spending, population growth and employment.

“City Forward substitutes data for intuition, making cities more livable, maintaining both government transparency, and civic literacy,” said Stanley S. Litow, IBM vice president of Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs, and President of IBM’s Foundation.  ”Ultimately, obtaining unique insights into information will help society make smarter and more informed decisions to benefit the public good.”