Brian Mefford, CEO
Connected Nation
and
Bill Kovacs
United States Chamber of Commerce

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Connected Nation, Inc., today announced the launch of Connect!, a new campaign to promote the critical need for expanding broadband to all communities throughout the Nation.  A key element of the campaign is a series of public dialogues. Brian and I also briefed reporters on the economic impact of accelerating broadband deployment in various states and the broadband mapping bills that Congress is now considering.

We’re hoping to build on the success of initiatives like ConnectKentucky, a public-private partnership that helped boost broadband availability in the state to 95 percent of Kentucky households last year, from only 60 percent in 2004.

The Connect! dialogues will address the ability of broadband to impact everything from economic development and U.S. global competitiveness to telemedicine and education.  We hope to generate awareness in the regions we are targeting and beyond to the benefits of broadband.  Broadband enables businesses and households across the country through better and more efficient e-government services, e-health initiatives, e-education or e-commerce.  The first dialogue will be held April 24th in Columbus, Ohio, and will feature a keynote speech by Governor Ted Strickland (D). Other discussions will follow in Albany, N.Y.; Charleston, S.C.; Olympia, W.A.; Kansas City, M.O.; and Fargo, N.D., through mid-August.

Here’s why we’re launching this exciting program. With a modest increase in broadband adoption, the United States could realize a total direct economic impact of $134 billion annually. That includes $92 billion in new wages from the 2.4 million jobs created through broadband growth. To make this happen, public-private partnerships and events like these regional dialogues are necessary to foster the deployment of broadband to all communities while increasing user demand through local grassroots awareness and adoption campaigns.

Connect! will bring together lawmakers, businesses, consumers, and experts to raise awareness on broadband use and discuss the importance of sound broadband policies and programs for the economic interests of the United States. The dialogues will emphasize that the ability to engage in e-commerce is critical for U.S. businesses. E-commerce allows all businesses, no matter how small or where they are located, to sell to customers everywhere.

For more information visit the Chamber’s excellent resource page on telecom issues and check out Connected Nation’s The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally by clicking here. 

We look forward to meeting you and hearing from you at the dialogues!

Click Here to See Highlights from the Announcement