Don’t Forget About High-Speed Broadband

[Commentary] More than 80 percent of American adults use the Internet, a number that will continue to increase alongside consumer demand for broadband-enabled devices and applications. Given this trend, the US should expand its current definition of physical infrastructure beyond local and national water mains, electrical grids, roads, bridges and highways to include high-speed broadband. And, it’s imperative that broadband is widely available to every citizen, regardless of who they are and where they live.

Generally, the private sector has been critical in scaling and sustaining broadband networks, making government incentives only part of the solution. Regulatory certainty is of equal importance as industry works toward adequate returns on their investments. Despite years of fluid investment in broadband infrastructure, some economists argue that the Federal Communications Commission’s recent reclassification of broadband Internet as a Title II service, will see a corollary decline in the building and enhancing of networks, despite increased government incentives. President Barack Obama has outlined aggressive goals for wireless infrastructure, prompting immediate actions to alleviate the current strains on this platform. Yet, without sound legislation and public policies that incentivize the continued development of robust broadband and the repurposing of federal spectrum from government to commercial uses, wireless infrastructure will not evolve into a more sustainable and reliable asset. Going forward, we must support policies and investments that encourage, not limit, broadband infrastructure investments.

[Nicol Turner-Lee is the vice president and chief research and policy officer at the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council]