Kohlenberger Decries US Networks as 'Inadequate'

Because today's broadband networks are inadequate, the government needs to play a role in helping bridge the high-speed Internet divide, Jim Kohlenberger, Chief of Staff in the White House's Office of Science and Technology said Thursday. He highlighted the efforts of the Obama administration in increasing broadband access in the United States. "We all do better when we are connected together, and broadband is now this critical infrastructure challenge for our generation," Kohlenberger said. "It's about our future, and we're lucky to have a president who's focused on the future and really gets it on broadband." Kohlenberger said that the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) at the NTIA represented a critical domestic infrastructure investment. The U.S. has "fallen behind in our ability to harness our potential" in Internet development. Further investment in broadband technology will create opportunities for education, data, and communications development, he said. "Today's broadband networks are far from ubiquitous." "Only 57% of Americans have broadband at home, and even that isn't homogenous," Kohlenberger said. "We're at thus juncture where we can and must do more to bridge this opportunity gap." President Obama's reliance on technology, Kohlenberger noted, indicated his dedication to increasing broadband accessibility.