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Broadband Buildout and Technology Investments

Broadband -- high-speed Internet -- is revolutionizing the way we work, learn, provide services, and play, and has the power to be a galvanizing political tool, uniting progressives across the nation. Combined with investments in digital inclusion programs that are needed to prepare the next generation of workers, and public investments in local technology, states can incorporate technological advancement as a key part of aprogressive economic growth agenda.

High-speed Internet has been one of the most transformative communication technologies in human history; just as important as other traditional public goods or infrastructure investments. It is no longer a luxury—but a public necessity. With universal and affordable high-speed Internet, states can leverage technology as an economic development tool and a means of providing better healthcare services, smarter environmental policies, and greater educational opportunities. As this packet will demonstrate, promoting increased access to and adoption of high-speed Internet,will not only provide many societal benefits, but can unite economic development experts, healthcare advocates, environmentalist, labor unions and educators.

Unfortunately, nearly 20 million Americans today do not have access to a single high-speed Internet provider, and even more are currently priced out of the market. In fact, roughly 40 percent of American households do not have broadband. This number shows how unprepared Americans are for the technology age in which they live. A closer look at the numbers reveals that access and use of the Internet is heavily weighted toward the upper echelons of society. Certain demographics have effectivelybeen left out of the digital renaissance.

Resource Organizations

US Public Interest Research Groups (US PIRG)

From the Dispatch

PSN 2011 Legislative Session Roundup: Broadband

Jul 14, 2011

(Note: With legislative sessions largely adjourned in statehouses across the nation, this week’s Dispatch is the first in a series of issue-specific session roundups from Progressive States Network highlighting trends in different critical policy areas across the fifty states.)

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Last Minute Budget Provision Cuts Access to Broadband for Schools, Libraries, Researchers, Targeting the Underserved

Jun 16, 2011

In a last minute amendment to its heavily controversial state budget bill, the Wisconsin Joint Committee on Finance added a provision that would greatly reduce broadband access for schools, libraries, and university researchers. The target of this harmful proposal is WiscNet, a not-for-profit Internet Service Provider cooperative that offers inexpensive and flexible broadband service to anchor institutions, provides online learning resources for public schools and libraries, and allows university researchers fast, inexpensive data upload services unavailable from private providers. This proposal by Governor Walker would force WiscNet to return $39 million in federal funds that would be used to lay fiber-optic cables across Wisconsin and would sever the relationship between WiscNet and the University of Wisconsin, which founded WiscNet over 20 years ago. In addition to negatively impacting the University’s connectivity and research capacity, the loss of this funding means that fewer rural community members would have immediate access to broadband.

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North Carolina’s Economy Loses As Restrictions On Community Broadband Become Law

May 26, 2011

After multiple attempts in the past four legislative sessions, large telecommunications providers have finally succeeded at preventing municipalities from facilitating community broadband services in North Carolina. Despite expressing concerns that industry-supported legislation would result in poorer service for communities, Governor Bev Perdue failed to veto House Bill 129, allowing it to become law without her signature. The law is particularly detrimental in rural areas, where the private sector has refused to provide service because they do not see profits.

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Communities Under Assault from Big Business... Again!

Apr 21, 2011

As political battles over budgets and deficits continue to rage in D.C. and statehouses across the nation, the dominant rhetoric continues to be that the vast majority of the nation must bear the burden of “shared sacrifices” – fewer teachers, hospitals, and other social services – while the wealthy continue to enjoy substantial tax cuts. In other words, working families have to cope with a financial crisis created by Wall Street while those that got us here in the first place pay no price.

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