Obama Adviser Eyes Gov't-Built Broadband
CongressDaily's David Hatch writes in TechCentral's latest Issue Of The Week that officials have released an historic government plan to spend tens of billions of dollars constructing a nationwide, state-of-the-art broadband network featuring speeds 100 times faster than today's technology. The new infrastructure would reach every citizen, delivering affordable connections at taxpayer-subsidized rates, boosting access to education and telemedicine. Proponents promise myriad opportunities for online businesses and enhancements to energy efficiency, media distribution and public safety. Haven't heard about this yet? That's because the announcement was made last month in Australia.
Before you dismiss the approach as a radical idea that could never be implemented here, consider this: it's being touted by a high-level White House official who reports directly to President Obama. Susan Crawford, special assistant to the president for science, technology and innovation policy and a member of the National Economic Council, recently said she is "personally intrigued" by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's ambitious goal. Even with this year's $7.2 billion cash infusion from Congress to stimulate domestic broadband investment, experts acknowledge that gaps in availability and bandwidth will remain, with pockets of the United States left with no service or antiquated technology.
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