Technology/Broadband as Stimulus
Friday, December 26, 2008 at 2:00PM
So we need new jobs? To understand what a fully developed, mega-speed communications system can do for our economy, think of what an Interstate highway system did for commerce in the 1950s. Today, leadership in building out an “Internet highway” could create jobs now and for decades to come. Americans are poorer than they were a year ago. Unemployment is around 8 percent and climbing. Numerous reports show the United States falling as compared to other developed countries in high-speed Internet penetration. As President-Elect Barack Obama recognizes, technology and broadband can be a means to stimulate the economy, put many Americans back to work and help us reclaim a position of world leadership through the development of broadband networks that enable high-speed communications throughout our nation. In a recent speech, Obama held out a vision of the future in which every child has Internet access, and all schools and libraries have the technological resources necessary to prepare tomorrow’s workforce for high-skilled, well-paying jobs. High-level research and main street anecdotes support the new administration’s assumptions and demonstrate that broadband access and utilization will immediately increase construction jobs and employment across multiple industries including government, manufacturing, finance, education, health care, information services and new industries yet to be identified. The new administration recognizes that broadband will create jobs for today and will have a multiplier effect that will create new jobs for years to come. Ben Scott, policy director of the media reform group Free Press, drew the comparison of an Internet highway on par with the building of Interstate highways under the Eisenhower Administration. As with the Interstate highways, government has a role in defining national goals, and in allocating federal money that must then be spent wisely. Our nation’s major communication providers have suggested that, as part of an economic stimulus package, tens of billions of dollars should go toward expanding their DSL and cable modem services in underserved urban and rural communities. Furthermore, these same providers believe DSL is broadband. Would this be a wise investment? We think not. While there is still a role for slower speed technologies like DSL, particularly in rural areas where cost effective coverage models are challenging, the focus of an economic stimulus investment must be on programs that create broadband infrastructure that will serve tomorrow’s applications in government, education, health care and business. The leading Asian and European nations are investing heavily in next-generation fiber and wireless technologies, providing higher quality capacity and services at significantly lower costs. Government, education and health organizations are driving adoption while new industries are emerging and creating jobs. If the United States is to remain competitive in the emerging knowledge-based global economy, it must do the same. We cannot afford to squander limited resources on yesterday’s technologies. For Americans, the goal of technological and broadband leadership is larger than anything that can be delivered in a simple package, or by a single industry. What is needed is a cohesive call to action for shovel-ready broadband projects that leverage existing state, county, municipal, regional and community broadband programs. For state and local governments, regional competitiveness depends on the ability to implement proactive measures that produce desired results. As a first step, we need to understand specifically the kind of efforts that will lead to the most effective and most immediate results. We need a roadmap, in essence. Smart spending choices can only be made within the context of clear goals, so that states and local governments know what to do to meet the needs of their communities, industries and citizens. This is the call to action we need to ensure that our future workforce can compete on a global scale. Our federal, state, county and municipal governments, along with schools and health-care providers among others, are already heavy investors in broadband networks and are helping to carve out a new future through technology. We cannot miss this opportunity to excel as a nation, by achieving the greatest capacity, and the highest quality of high-speed Internet access, through the most cost effective means. Absent strong leadership, we risk wasting precious time and resources on a helter-skelter approach that without clear goals will also lack accountability. Amid anxiety over being shortchanged, 48 current and incoming governors have asked Obama to send stimulus money directly states and local governments. “The quickest, most effective way to achieve the intended results of a federal stimulus package is to send federal funds directly to local governments,” the National League of Cities and the National Association of Counties said in a report delivered to the Obama transition staff on Dec. 15. The Knight Center of Digital Excellence is working with many of our nation’s leaders and has been able to demonstrate the impact of public-private partnerships, as well as federal-state-local partnerships, to better leverage limited funds and carry out vital programs while avoiding unnecessary duplication. Working within the framework of public-private partnerships and with our nation’s leading telecommunications providers, our nation will be able to align and advance broadband infrastructure deployments with the top priorities of American communities. The good news is that in our highly intelligent nation, we have many informed voices to help develop the framework for a national vision of excellence, so stimulus money can be well directed. We hope that President-Elect Obama’s strategy does not give the incumbent telecommunications providers unadulterated access to funds solely to extend DSL technologies. We hope that our national policy and stimulus strategy will consider a more thoughtful approach that involves widespread public and private participation. A comprehensive broadband strategy should strengthen our telecommunications industry, encourage investment and increase the quality, capacity and services for our communities for decades to come. It will be up to the next administration to develop a comprehensive plan to leverage our resources to invest in infrastructure that addresses the needs of jobs today and addresses the technology needs of the nation for decades to come. Our goal at the Knight Center of Digital Excellence is to contribute to the discussion, especially through our work in creating digital connectivity in 26 cities throughout the United States. We believe it is essential for communities to be well-informed stakeholders as they attempt to direct investments that will be critical to our broadband future, and critical to our economic future. Only by grasping the great potential down the road can we grasp the importance of the immediate work ahead. Mark T. Ansboury Note: Obama’s technology platform is laid out in his agenda for America, which can be found at http:/ /change.gov/agenda/technology_agenda/
Chief Technology Officer and Executive Sponsor for the Knight Center of Digital Excellence