Issue Of The Week: Bullish On Broadband
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Videogame lobbyists are pushing for government policies that encourage affordable, accessible, and faster high-speed Internet service as the agendas for the new Congress and the Obama administration come into focus. Michael Gallagher, the head of the industry's main trade group and former assistant secretary of Commerce under President George W. Bush, believes broadband is the "connective tissue" that his member companies need to survive in a turbulent economy.
Opportunities to play games online and download games and game-related content from a range of legitimate download services help drive demand for broadband, the Entertainment Software Association said in a briefing paper sent to President Obama's transition team. "We're the only form of entertainment online that's interactive -- movies and music are linear." Gallagher told CongressDaily. "We're very pleased with the president's strong embracing of broadband deployment as a high value goal for our country." The $6 billion-plus in broadband funds in Obama's stimulus package was a good start, he added.
Gallagher's group also supports efforts to free up wireless spectrum as gaming moves from PCs and plasma screens to handheld devices. "The administration and Congress have a huge amount to contribute to make sure that resources are available and make sure that rules of the road encourage investment and give companies and customers access to it at reasonable prices and terms," he said.
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