Who Will Bring Broadband to Everyone?

[Commentary] Has it been just one year since President Barack Obama’s Second Inaugural Address? Last year, at this time, our ears perked up when we heard the President stress building networks after being sworn in for a second term. Here at the Benton Foundation, we believe that no one can fully participate in modern society unless they have the means to effectively use our most powerful communications tools. Broadband networks must be available, accessible, affordable, trustworthy, and relevant to new adopters. And these people must develop the skills needed to make use of these powerful tools. In the US it is not just aspiration that high-speed Internet networks reach everyone -- it is the law. Congress directed the Federal Communications Commission to promote the deployment of broadband services to all Americans. The FCC must take affirmative steps to provide all Americans with an equal opportunity to access broadband. The law both compels the FCC to promote universal broadband and to avoid steps that would undermine this goal. Just after President Obama’s first inauguration, Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) which reaffirmed this commitment. The FCC was asked to create a National Broadband Plan to “ensure that all people of the United States have access to broadband capability and shall establish benchmarks for meeting that goal.” In light of the ARRA, the nation’s broadband policy goals now seek to encourage increased utilization of broadband in addition to the ubiquitous deployment of broadband facilities. So where are we?