Sen Kerry: Where's the National Broadband Plan?

Citing areas like Western Massachusetts, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) told the Senate Commerce Committee that federal action is needed to bring broadband service to regions without access to the Internet, in order to even the odds of competing in a global market. Sen Kerry told the committee that in Massachusetts only 46 percent of the public has broadband. "Amazingly, that's the fourth best rate in the country," he said. The areas that have no service or are underserved are largely in Western Massachusetts, said Sen Kerry. He criticized President Bush for not completing the administration's goal of hooking up the nation to the Internet by 2007. "Where is the plan?" asked Sen Kerry. "Where is the sense of urgency? Entire swaths of this country, including most of the western part of Massachusetts, have little or no access to broadband service. Eight years into the 21st century, more than half of Americans have either no Internet access at all or are still using dial-up. We need a national broadband strategy to encourage economic competitiveness in a global marketplace. By making high-speed Internet more readily available, businesses in Western Massachusetts will be better equipped to compete and grow, and more entrepreneurs will set up shop there."
Kerry fights for Internet connection in Western Massachusetts
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/04/kerry_fights_for_internet...