Monday, November 3, 2008

Internet Group Offers Advice To New President

The U.S. Internet Industry Association provided some advice for the new president and the 111th Congress in its weekly e-mail bulletin on Monday. The trade group, which represents small Internet service providers, said the successful use of broadband technologies can address the realities of economic recovery, national security and the emerging need for new solutions in healthcare, energy management and education.

USIIA's detailed recommendations will be released soon but the three basic themes include:

1. Do no harm. Popular claims notwithstanding, there is nothing wrong with the nation's broadband infrastructure, and the Administration should not move in haste to fix a system that is demonstrably not broken. Unlike the financial system, the automotive industry or the airline industry, the broadband industry in the U.S. is not broken and is not in need of a bailout.

2. Focus on digital inclusion. In an extensive survey of 50,000 U.S. consumers released in October, Connected Nation found that the largest barrier to broadband adoption is a lack of awareness about broadband's benefits, and close to half of rural residents without a home broadband connection say it is because they do not feel a need for it. The study similarly notes that those who do not own computers or other devices to access the Internet -- a prerequisite for broadband adoption -- simply do not see the relevance of these devices to their daily lives.

3. America's future depends on smart investments in smart networks. America's future will in large measure depend on our ability to invest in infrastructure and innovation to support new programs for education, healthcare and the environment. From e-health and distributed learning to telecommuting and a reduced reliance on fossil fuels, we will tightly focused investments and a new generation of smart networks.