Over the past decade, the telecommunications sector has undergone a vast transformation fueled by rapid technological growth and subsequent evolution of the marketplace. Much of the U.S. policy debate over the evolving telecommunications infrastructure is framed within the context of a “national broadband policy.”
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The Digital Road to Recovery
By Robert D. Atkinson, Daniel Castro and Stephen J. Ezell
Spurring investments in IT infrastructure not only can provide an important short-term boost to the U.S. economy; it also can lay the groundwork for long-term economic growth, international competitiveness, and significant improvement in Americans’ quality of life.
Congressional Research Service: What’s Different About Broadband?
Broadband network deployment projects represent large scale, long term investments that affect the overall productivity of economic activity in the geographic areas in which they are built, and thus fit the conventional definition of infrastructure. But they also have several characteristics that distinguish them from traditional infrastructure projects. These unique characteristics may dictate that government programs in support of broadband deployment be structured differently than conventional infrastructure programs.
State Developments 2007-08
- Connecticut HB 6780 (positive)
- Illinois Act 95-0684, Section 35 (positive)(enacted)
- Missouri HB 801 (positive)(enacted)(No ban on “Internet type services”)
- New Jersey P.L. 2007, c.191 (mixed)(passed)
- North Carolina HB 1587 (2007)(negative) (not passed)
Examples of opposition to North Carolina HB 1587:
- AARP
- Alcatel-Lucent
- City of Chapel Hill
- Town of Davidson
- EDUCAUSE
- City of Fayetteville
- City of Greensboro
- Hitachi
- City of Raleigh
- City of Wilson
- FTTH Council
- Intel
- Mainstream Fiber Networks
- NC Counties Association
- NC Justice Center
- NC League of Municipalities
- NC PIRG
- SEATOA
- Telecommunications Industry Association
- Tropos
- Pennsylvania HB 327 (positive)(not enacted)
- Rhode Island H5839 (positive)(not enacted)
- Vermont HB 248 (positive)(enacted)
- Washington SB 6102 (positive)(not enacted in 2007, reintroduced in 2008)
- West Virginia (positive) (vetoed)
- Wyoming (restrictions limited to exclusive contracts)
Barack Obama on Technology
Barack Obama’s current platform on technology including his perspective on broadband.
Peregrine an economic windfall for the Cedar Valley
Peregrine Financial announced its intention to move the company headquarters from downtown Chicago to the Beaver Hills area of Cedar Falls. The project is expected to have a total economic impact of $124 million per year, thanks in large part to the Peregrine executives who are expected to move with the headquarters and their average yearly compensation of approximately $200,000 each.
Federal Developments 2007-2008
- Lautenberg-Smith: S.1853, “Community Broadband Act of 2007”
- Sen. Lautenberg floor statement
- Sen. Lautenberg press release
- Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate for S.1853
- Senate Commerce Committee final report on S.1853
- Boucher-Upton: H.R.3281, “Community Broadband Act of 2007”
- Rep. Rick Boucher floor statement
- Boucher-Upton press release
- Community Broadband Coalition Letter of Support for S.1853 (9-21-07)
- Community Broadband Coalition Letter Support for H.R.3281 (9-21-07)
- Rep. Markey’s Staff Discussion Draft: “Wireless Consumer Protection and
Community Broadband Empowerment Act of 2008”
Jim Baller Interview on C-Span’s “The Communicators”
James Baller, founder of the US Broadband coalition, discusses efforts to lobby Congress and the Administration of President-elect Barack Obama for a National Broadband Strategy. Anne Veigel of Communications Daily, is co-host. Program from Saturday, Dec. 13, 2008.
Communications Workers of America: “Broadband Investment Creates Jobs”
Letter sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
Video of Call to Action event on Capitol Hill
In an unprecedented display of consensus, a broad and diverse array of groups concerned about America’s broadband future will release a Call to Action that provides President-elect Obama and the incoming Congress a policy framework for a comprehensive national broadband strategy.
Call to Action Statement
On December 8, 2008, the US Broadband Coalition presented the following Call to Action to President-elect Barak Obama and Congress at an event on Capitol Hill.
CALEA Mandate Affects Broadband Providers Nationwide
In late 2006, following a decision by the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in American Council on Education v. FCC, broadband service providers nationwide were suddenly presented with a new and extensive federal mandate. Under the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (CALEA), by May 14, 2007 facilities-based broadband and VoIP service providers were to ensure that their networks are technically capable of providing certain surveillance capabilities to law enforcement, potentially at great expense, or face the prospect of incurring a fine of up to $10,000 per day. Over the intervening months, those service providers who were aware of the new requirements have expended substantial resources simply to determine how and whether to comply, in addition to the direct expense of any technical solution they may be compelled to implement.
A National Broadband Strategy: “Make No Small Plans”
In October 2006 and January 2007, Casey Lide and I wrote two articles arguing that the United States should promptly develop a national broadband strategy, as the other leading nations are doing.1 In the first article, we focused on America’s pressing need for rapid deployment of high-capacity next generation networks, and in the second article we proposed an ambitious 8-step plan to make national broadband planning a reality. Since then, a large and growing number of organizations and individuals have voiced support for a national broadband strategy, and a small but vocal opposition has emerged. This paper summarizes the main arguments on both sides and shows that the opponents are wrong on multiple levels.