Internet Innovation Alliance > Broadband Strategy Petition

Petition for a National Broadband Strategy

Broadband access has become vital to life and commerce in America. Individuals, businesses, government agencies, healthcare providers and educational institutions all rely on it as an efficient and effective platform for communicating and conducting business. It has enabled significant prosperity already, and it will be a key element determining our continued competitiveness in the global economy. But while we have seen solid deployment and adoption of broadband in America so far, we still have a long way to go to achieve our goal: universal availability and adoption of truly high speed connections.

High speed broadband Internet connects people, spurs economic development, improves education, health care, and environmental sustainability.
We call on Congress and the next President to work together to create a National Broadband Strategy that provides Americans with affordable access to high-speed internet.
Government by and for the people can help make this goal a reality by:
- Providing incentives and encouraging public-private partnerships to expand broadband infrastructure
- Adopting policies that encourage transformative technologies – like telemedicine – that thrive on broadband
- Develop an educated and knowledge-based workforce ready for the opportunities of the 21st century
Congress and the next President should put aside politics as usual and work together to create a National Broadband Strategy that helps deliver the promises of the 21st century to every single American.

The Petition
We must take appropriate steps now to ensure we are prepared as a country to capitalize on the great economic, cultural and social opportunities presented by the broadband platform. The benefits are undeniable and compelling. It is time to act. Whereas accelerating broadband deployment spurs new job creation, new product innovation and broad economic growth; Whereas broadband access increases educational opportunities and offers a platform for higher quality and lower cost health care; Whereas broadband usage can help reduce energy intensity and environmental impacts from alternative activities; We hereby call for the next President to work with political and community leaders in Congress and the States, innovators and entrepreneurs, content creators and Internet users, to offer and embrace a National Broadband Strategy, a coherent set of policies and goals that complement and accelerate the efforts in the marketplace to achieve universal adoption of high speed Internet. Such a Strategy must harness market forces and robust competition and address three primary objectives: 1. Provide investment incentives and encourage public-private partnerships to expand broadband infrastructure; 2. Adopt policies and incentives to promote transformative applications and ongoing innovations that accelerate America’s global competitiveness and address major national challenges such as energy efficiency, health care cost and quality and educational opportunity; and 3. Develop an educated and digitally-literate workforce ready for the challenges of the next century.

We are at a critical moment in our nation’s history. Broadband can play an essential role in our ability to meet the challenges of the day and help all Americans succeed. This best starts with clear articulation of an inclusive and multi-faceted National Broadband Strategy.

The Undersigned