The Right Broadband Stimulus Package

[Commentary] The stimulus package being considered by Congress presents a once in a generation opportunity to upgrade our nation's broadband infrastructure, but only if the proposals are based on pragmatic logic rather than ideological wishful thinking. Congress will hopefully include a sizeable investment in broadband infrastructure in the stimulus package expected to pass next month. If broadband is to be a sizeable component of the stimulus, it is critical that the measures are ones that get the most broadband built or most people added to the network in the quickest way. Unfortunately, some broadband advocates -- like Free Press -- see the stimulus package as a golden opportunity to advance their own particular agenda with policies that will end up spurring much less broadband investment in 2009 and 2010 than is possible with more pragmatically designed proposals. So what is needed? If Congress is serious about using the stimulus package to really drive broadband deployment in 2009, it needs to ensure that a sizeable portion of any stimulus package is focused on tax credits to companies to deploy broadband to areas without it and to expand speeds in areas with it. (Atkinson is President Information Technology and Innovation Foundation)