The words of the U.S. Chamber’s vice president for environment, technology and regulatory affairs, William Kovacs, clearly sums up their latest report on broadband deployment:
“An estimated $60 billion has been invested in broadband infrastructure by the communications industry this year. Given these turbulent economic times, federal policy must continue to support this high-level of investment. This will spur job growth, innovation, and consumer choice.”
The report, “Network Effects: An Introduction to Broadband Technology and Regulation,” accurately captures what NGW has been demonstrating all along – broadband is improving people’s lives and our nation’s economy. The robust and diverse private investment in our communications infrastructure has made a wide array of innovation and growth possible and must be allowed to continue to flourish.
Representing more than 3 million businesses from across the country, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, like NGW, recognizes the many pivotal ways broadband is moving our nation forward by helping businesses create jobs, enhancing educational opportunities and improving health care while controlling costs. Each of these benefits has a substantial impact on the health and strength of the U.S. economy.
The Chamber report recommends embracing public-private partnerships to promote broadband deployment, noting that our nation’s nearly 1,400 broadband providers have created strong and effective partnerships that have expanded access, particularly in rural areas.
The Chamber plans to release a series of broadband reports on telemedicine, education and people with disabilities in the year ahead. NGW looks forward to the findings of these studies and to keeping the conversation going and moving our broadband nation forward in 2009.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
social networking