BSA and Other Tech Associations Urge Congress to Spur Broadband Adoption

July 13, 2009

Hon. Nancy Pelosi
Speaker
United States House of Representatives
235 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Hon. Harry Reid
Majority Leader
United States Senate
522 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-2803

Hon. John Boehner
Minority Leader
United States House of Representatives
1011 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Hon. Mitch McConnell
Minority Leader
United States Senate
361-A Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-1702


Dear Congressional Leaders:


We are writing to express our strong support for initiatives intended to encourage the deployment and adoption of additional broadband. We view the deployment of high capacity broadband as a key investment that will spur America’s competitiveness well into the 21st century.

Access to and adoption of high capacity broadband is a crucial component in any plan to spur economic growth, particularly in areas that are currently unserved and underserved by broadband technologies. The gap between those consumers and businesses with affordable and effective access to advanced information and those with limited or no access must be eliminated if we are to give all individuals and communities a chance to participate in the economy of the future. Bridging this gap requires deployment of fixed and mobile broadband networks, as well as initiatives to encourage consumer adoption of broadband technologies such as programs to increase PC ownership and education. Increased access to and adoption of next generation broadband promise to give opportunities to regions not based on geography, but on their ability to generate opportunity on a level playing field.

Basic needs and quality of life issues can also be aided by the addition of broadband that go well beyond economic development opportunities. Encouraging broadband deployment and adoption will provide valuable components to public education, libraries, healthcare and public safety that would be non-existent otherwise.

As a result of our desire to promote high capacity broadband deployment and adoption, we broadly support numerous legislative initiatives that have the goal of maximizing broadband usage. We have seen many examples of such efforts to the basic concept of deploying and adopting more high capacity broadband to as many areas as possible, including:

  • A direct grant process as is the case in the recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (“ARRA”);
  • ARRA requiring the Federal Communications Commission to create a National Broadband Plan;
  • Broadband mapping plans like S. 1492 that passed last year and was funded in ARRA;
  • Tax incentives like H.R. 691, the Broadband Access Equality Act championed by
  • Representative Kendrick Meek or language authored by Senator Rockefeller to be added into ARRA;

Without initiatives like these, we may find that certain regions, and possibly the United States as a whole, will fall further behind competitors. Moreover, limiting oneself to a one-size fits-all solution is not the most effective method to crafting a broadband policy. Different economic and geographic regions will have different technology needs and fits. We therefore encourage you to have a variety of legislative solutions and work with the Federal Communications Commission in implementing ARRA’s call for a National Broadband Plan, in order to fulfill our country’s broadband goals.

As you deliberate broadband policy and future legislation, we encourage you to craft many solutions and to devote several resources toward maximizing the deployment and adoption of broadband.

Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

Business Software Alliance
Digital Media Association
TechAmerica
TechNet


CC: Members of Congress


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