It's time to broadband the economy

[Commentary] President-elect Barack Obama's ambitious economic recovery plan has a goal to create 3 million American jobs in the next two years. Broadband is a part of the answer. Broadband has the potential to transform our country. It will create jobs in the growth sectors of our economy — jobs that are driving the collaboration and interaction economy. Obama deserves our full support as he looks to revitalize our economy. An economic stimulus package that focuses on infrastructure must put America's broadband infrastructure at the head of the list. We have the opportunity to bring broadband to those who do not have access to it today and to dramatically improve the quality and speed of existing broadband to 21st century standards. Broadband is the highway to our future. Broadband's economic power derives from two sources. The first is reach — how many people are using broadband at work, at home and in the community. The second is speed — the speeds of the connection determine the impact it has on user behavior. It's time to broadband our economy. The innovation, the productivity and the growth that is possible with a proper broadband infrastructure is nearly limitless. The time to act is now. Doing so will not only help stabilize and stimulate a recovery but create the foundation for long-term prosperity and competitiveness. (John T. Chambers is CEO of Cisco Systems)