CWA Broadband Bill Becomes Law - New Administration Endorses Need for High Speed Networks

The Broadband Data Improvement Act, a key initiative of CWA's Speed Matters campaign, has become law.

CWA's Speed Matters Strategic Industry Fund campaign was the prime mover behind this measure, which requires the Federal Communications Commission to conduct annual studies on broadband deployment and adds a question to the federal Census on dial-up and broadband Internet use.

The legislation is the first step toward a national broadband policy that will bring true high speed Internet access to all Americans.

Senate sponsor Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) said, "we cannot manage what we can't measure. This bill will give us the baseline statistics we need in order to eventually achieve the successful deployment of broadband access and services to all Americans."

President-elect Barack Obama has recognized high speed broadband as a critical element of economic development for the U.S., and supports the build-out of true high speed networks to fuel the nation's economic growth. 

At Capitol Hill forum, CWA Pres. Larry Cohen calls for broadband investment to spur economic recovery. Joining him is AT&T Executive Vice President Jim Cicconi, far left, and CWA research economist Ken Peres.

At a policy forum on Capitol Hill in December, CWA President Larry Cohen stressed that investment in the deployment and adoption of true high speed broadband was critical to the nation's economic recovery.

"Creating quality jobs is the real stimulus our economy needs. We've seen what happened when people received a $300 or so check — not much. Creating jobs, and the multiplier effect that produces additional job growth is what will help our communities and get our country out of this economic crisis," Cohen said.

A $5 billion increase in broadband investment would create 100,000 new jobs in telecom and information technology in the year that investment is made, he said. In addition, a 7 percent increase in broadband penetration would create 2.4 million new jobs throughout the economy, he added.

CWA has called for full funding of the Broadband Data Improvement Act, to help support and encourage state initiatives and private-public partnerships, as well as to identify barriers to broadband adoption in the states.

More than 50 organizations, including AT&T, Google and other companies, consumer and public interest groups, state and local governments and Internet providers and users have signed on to the call to action to press for the development of a national broadband strategy. 

Cohen has testified several times on Capitol Hill on how the U.S. is losing ground in the build-out and use of true high speed Internet networks, compared with nearly every other industrial democracy.

"High speed Internet broadband is the critical infrastructure for the 21st century. It is the platform on which we will grow jobs and our economy," Cohen said.

Speed Matters activists raised the issue at the national, state and community levels for more than two years and helped gain national recognition for the campaign's Speed Test, which measured the download and upload speeds promised by Internet service providers.