National broadband dreamin'

[Commentary] The National Broadband Plan is a challenge for our industry.

Some are calling it a dream. In my opinion, the NBP is a document of substance, of immense importance and one that should serve as the vision and blueprint for this nation's broadband-enabled future. The NBP's authors put it into context right from the beginning. The NBP asserts that broadband is the first 21st century national infrastructure play, on par the with grand projects of the 19th and 20th centuries -- the transcontinental railroad, rural electrification, universally available telephone, radio and television services, and the interstate highway system. Even more significant are the NBP's overarching long-term goals -- and how these goals will challenge service providers, their customers and their vendors.

The NBP is an American dream. Its challenges are daunting, but its promise is a grand vision of a broadband future for this country. Ten years out, we're hoping that the plan becomes a dream fulfilled.