Broadband

A national broadband strategy for America is an integral piece of our infrastructure plan for the 21st century. America has a strong tradition of ensuring that technology is available to all American when it becomes essential to modern life. As broadband moves from an emerging technology to a prerequisite for competing in the global economy, we must expand broadband access to all residents.  As with universal postal service in the 19th century and rural electrification in the early 20th century, broadband is no longer a luxury geographically isolated to metropolitan areas, but an economic necessity that must be made available to all Americans.

As more integral services, such as education, commerce, and banking, move online, high speed internet access is increasingly becoming a necessity for engaging in modern life. In 2000 America was ranked fourth among OECD countries in broadband penetration.  In 2006 this rank was down to 12th and continued down to 15th by 2007. We must create a strategy to regain or status as a global leader in technology that offers every American the opportunity to participate in the 21st century economy.  We need a national strategy that has as its central premise affordable access to broadband for all Americans.  To do this we need to rationalize decisions making at the federal level, focus on targeted cost effective subsidies, and integrate federal, state, and local decision making processes to assure that actions at the local level are in accordance with a broader national vision.

Draft Recommendations: 

1. To ensure that decisions are being made in accordance with a national strategy and to facilitate more targeted and better decisions, the first step is improved and increased data collection.  A detailed national mapping effort identifying underserved communities could go a long way in itself to drive increased broadband access.  Some of the identified areas might reveal potentially profitable service areas that could be built out without any subsidy.  Those areas not immediately taken up by the private sector would be the first step at identifying communities that require subsidies.
2. The federal subsidies that are made should be narrowly focused as to not interfere in the private market where unnecessary.  These subsidies should be administered by state and local partners to increase accountability and reinforce the targeted nature of the program.  Further they should consistent with the comprehensive national plan identifying target areas that will result from the mapping effort.
3. Ubiquitous coverage by itself is not enough.  Part of the national strategy must also include ways to help people who can not afford service, in both rural and urban communities, access to broadband to ensure their participation in the 21st century economy.  Government programs similar to the Lifeline service helping to ensure telephone service to the low-income people and non-governmental organizations dedicated to exposing and educating low-income people to how technology can work for them will be critical pieces to the national strategy.

For more information of America 2050's broadband program, contact:

Yoav Hagler: yhagler@rpa.org

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