Steve Oldham’s piece in the Sacramento Bee from Sunday revisits some of the broadband industry’s great accomplishments. Oldham writes, “Broadband Internet in the United States has been and continues to be a tremendous success story, producing access to people and information, jobs, economic growth and vast social benefits.”

• 90% of homes in the US have 2 broadband Internet providers to choose from.
• 95% of the U.S. population has access to wired broadband, supporting download speeds of 4 Mbps or more.
• 91% of Americans are happy with their broadband service, as a recent FCC report shows.

While there still remains some room for growth, it’s impossible to argue with 90-percentile statistics that show the strong movement of broadband Internet throughout the U.S. As Oldham points out, there is no need to “place inflexible growth-inhibiting regulations” on a “thriving marketplace.”

Steve Oldham is president and CEO of SureWest Communications and chairman of US Telecom Association.

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• Total economic impact of $905,743,973 if broadband deployment were increased at a reasonable level. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Net job growth of 18,723 jobs from increase in broadband deployment. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• The Mississippi Area Health Education Center provides access to continuing education and other distance learning opportunities for health care providers via telehealth technologies. (Alliance for Public Technology and Communications Workers of America, State Broadband Initiatives)

• In 2005 the Mississippi Broadband Task Force recommended the creation of a statewide initiative to promote citizens’ use of the Internet with a formal plan and broadband strategy. (Alliance for Public Technology and Communications Workers of America, State Broadband Initiatives)

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• Total economic impact of $1,692,307,789 if broadband deployment were increased at a reasonable level. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Net job growth of 33,451 jobs from increase in broadband deployment. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Average of $10,187,810 in healthcare costs saved annually if broadband deployment were increased at a reasonable level. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Average of $99,216,165 in mileage costs saved annually if broadband deployment were increased at a reasonable level. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Alabama Research and Education Network provides broadband Internet access for Alabama state government, colleges and universities, K-12 schools, and libraries. (Alliance for Public Technology and Communications Workers of America, State Broadband Initiatives)

• Launched in 2005, the ACCESS Project provides grants and program support for distance learning in high schools, hoping to eventually expand availability to all public high schools. (Alliance for Public Technology and Communications Workers of America, State Broadband Initiatives)

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• Ranks first for “Digital Economy”. (Dr. Rob Atkinson, The 2007 State New Economy Index)

• Ranks first for internet users as a share of the population, at 72%. (Dr. Rob Atkinson, The 2007 State New Economy Index)

• Total economic impact of $317,188,552 if broadband deployment were increased at a reasonable level. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Net job growth of 4,846 jobs from increase in broadband deployment. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Average of $1,484,307 in healthcare costs saved annually if broadband deployment were increased at a reasonable level. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Average of $14,018,776 in mileage costs saved annually if broadband deployment were increased at a reasonable level. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• The Alaska Telehealth Advisory Council provides recommendations and policy guidance to improve access to health care through the expansion and adoption of telehealth initiatives. (Alliance for Public Technology and Communications Workers of America, State Broadband Initiatives)

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• Total economic impact of $2,498,704,035 if broadband deployment were increased at a reasonable level. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Net job growth of 46,358 jobs from increase in broadband deployment. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Phoenix, AZ ranks in the top ten markets for broadband penetration. (Scarbrough Research, “The Need for Internet Speed: Broadband Penetration Increased More than 300% Since 2002”)

• Average of $13,659,679 in healthcare costs saved annually if broadband deployment were increased at a reasonable level. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Average of $129,327,410 in mileage costs saved annually if broadband deployment were increased at a reasonable level. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• The Arizona State Public Information Network’s services include maintaining a Network Operations Center and Network Information Center for ASPIN partners, Internet training classes, and grant proposal writing assistance. (Alliance for Public Technology and Communications Workers of America, State Broadband Initiatives)

• The Arizona Telemedicine Program provides telemedicine services, distance learning, training, and technology assessment capabilities to communities throughout Arizona. (Alliance for Public Technology and Communications Workers of America, State Broadband Initiatives)

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• Total economic impact of $963,684,222 if broadband deployment were increased at a reasonable level. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Net job growth of 20,577 jobs from increase in broadband deployment. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Average of $6,226,667 in healthcare costs saved annually if broadband deployment were increased at a reasonable level. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Average of $60,352,819 in mileage costs saved annually if broadband deployment were increased at a reasonable level. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• The Arkansas Broadband Advisory Council monitors broadband development efforts  in Arkansas and other states and advises the governor and legislature on broadband policy issues. (Alliance for Public Technology and Communications Workers of America, State Broadband Initiatives)
  

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• Ranks in the top 5 in the deployment of residential and business broadband lines. (Dr. Rob Atkinson, The 2007 State New Economy Index)

• Through 2010 broadband growth could generate a cumulative gain of 1.8 million jobs and $132 billion of payroll. (Sacramento Regional Research Institute, Economic Effects of Increased Broadband Use in California)

• San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, CA ranks first in top markets for broadband penetration.  (Scarbrough Research, “The Need for Internet Speed: Broadband Penetration Increased More than 300% Since 2002”)

• San Diego, CA ranks in the top ten markets for broadband penetration. (Scarbrough Research, “The Need for Internet Speed: Broadband Penetration Increased More than 300% Since 2002”)

• 96% of all California households have access to broadband services. (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, “State Efforts to Expand Broadband Access”)

• 56% of Californians have access to broadband at speeds greater than 10 megabits per second. (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, “State Efforts to Expand Broadband Access”)

• Total economic impact of $17,287,110,398 if broadband deployment were increased at a reasonable level. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Net job growth of 262,042 jobs from increase in broadband deployment. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• The California Broadband Task Force is composed of public and private stakeholders who advise policymakers on a framework for California’s broadband policy. (Alliance for Public Technology and Communications Workers of America, State Broadband Initiatives)

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• Ranks in the top 5 for the percentage of the total workforce holding high tech jobs, at 5.77%. (Dr. Rob Atkinson, The 2007 State New Economy Index)

• Total economic impact of $2,351,248,032 if broadband deployment were increased at a reasonable level. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Net job growth of 39,665 jobs from increase in broadband deployment. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• The Colorado Multi-Use Network is a partnership between the state of Colorado and Qwest to build a high-speed fiber-optic network linking rural and urban areas of the state. (Alliance for Public Technology and Communications Workers of America, State Broadband Initiatives)

• The Governor’s Innovation Council focuses on developing and assisting in the execution of a plan to facilitate broadband deployment throughout the state. (Alliance for Public Technology and Communications Workers of America, State Broadband Initiatives)

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• Ranks in the top 5 for the percentage of the workforce holding “knowledge jobs”. (Dr. Rob Atkinson, The 2007 State New Economy Index)

• Ranks in the top 5 for employment in IT occupations in non-IT sectors, at 1.83%. (Dr. Rob Atkinson, The 2007 State New Economy Index)

• Ranks in the top 5  for the percentage of jobs held by managers, professionals and technicians, at 24.50% of the total workforce. (Dr. Rob Atkinson, The 2007 State New Economy Index)

• Ranks in the top 5 for the percentage of farmers with internet access and using computers for business. (Dr. Rob Atkinson, The 2007 State New Economy Index)

• Total economic impact of $1,938,746,950 if broadband deployment were increased at a reaosnable level. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Net job growth of 29,765 jobs from increase in broadband deployment. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Hartford/New Haven, CT ranks in the top ten markets for broadband penetration. (Scarbrough Research, “The Need for Internet Speed: Broadband Penetration Increased More than 300% Since 2002”)

• The Connecticut Education Network provides K-12 schools, institutions of higher education, and libraries with fiber optic broadband connections. (Alliance for Public Technology and Communications Workers of America, State Broadband Initiatives)

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• Total economic impact of $452,660,929 if broadband deployment were increased at a reasonable level. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Net job growth of 7,796 jobs from increase in broadband deployment. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

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