The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will try to promote the educational benefits of broadband with a symposium tomorrow at its Washington, D.C., headquarters.

The event, “Unleashing the Educational Power of Broadband,” begins at 9 a.m. and will feature FCC officials, industry representatives, and leaders from schools and libraries nationwide who will discuss ways broadband can facilitate learning, and we think satellites offer the only way that broadband can be cost-effectively deployed to rural areas across the country.

Audio and video coverage of the meeting will be broadcast live over the Internet from the FCC’s Audio/Video Events Web page at http://www.fcc.gov/realaudio.

In other commission news,Chairman Powell launched a multi-year consumer education and outreach campaign to spur the rollout of digital television services in the United States. The campaign will inform the public about the DTV transition and the availability of high-definition and other digital content from satellite, cable and broadcast service providers.

The plan is to position the FCC as a primary resource for consumers to learn about DTV and to aid in its nationwide adoption. To this end, Powell unveiled a new Web portal, http://www.dtv.gov, to serve as a one-stop source of information on the DTV transition and for available high-definition programming. The site lists high-definition programming options available for homes, it answers frequently asked questions about the DTV transition, and it offers a guide for DTV shoppers.