Groups urge Obama to adopt broadband strategy

A coalition of broadband supporters is urging President-elect Obama to keep his campaign pledge and develop a national strategy to increase deployment of affordable high-speed Internet access across the nation. The plea was made by a coalition that includes 56 telecom companies, industry associations and labor groups including AT&T, Cisco, Google, the Communications Workers of America, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association and Verizon. They all agreed that the issue is central to our nation's ability to compete technologically and economically.

The plan for government help, according to this coalition, could include tax breaks, low-interest loans, subsidies and public-private partnerships to encourage more investments in upgrading and building out high-speed networks. Many of the group members have been at odds over a number of broadband-related issues, including whether the government should set limits on how much spectrum a company can hold.

"The coalition is a positive in that it demonstrates we agree that we have a broadband problem, which not everyone was willing to admit to two years ago," said Ben Scott, policy director at Free Press and a member of the group. "The key is whether we'll see this group produce policy solutions that will require difficult choices."
 
For more on the movement to expand broadband:
-  check out this Washington Post article

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