On Tuesday, February 17, President Barack Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The following may be attributed to Benton Foundation Chairman and CEO Charles Benton:
Today, President Obama accelerates the US down the road to realizing our digital communications future -- the universal, ubiquitous 21st century digital broadband system all Americans deserve. Key investments enabled by the law will make possible:
- extending broadband services to underserved communities across the country, so that rural and inner-city businesses can compete with any company in the world
- accelerating adoption of Health Information Technology (HIT) systems by doctors and hospitals
- transforming the nation's electricity systems to make it more efficient and reliable
Perhaps most importantly, the law requires the Federal Communications Commission, within one year, to devise a National Broadband Strategy, aimed at extending the reach of broadband Internet access to all Americans. The law wisely recognizes that broadband deployment is not an ends in itself but an enabler for meeting many of the most pressing challenges before us. The FCC's plan, then, is to include the use of broadband in homeland security, community development, health care delivery, energy independence and efficiency, education, worker training, private sector investment, entrepreneurial activity, job creation and economic growth.
The Benton Foundation is thankful that Congress and the President have recognized the importance of communications in our economy and in our society as a whole. We look forward to working with the FCC, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's new Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, and the Rural Development Telecommunications Program at the Department of Agriculture to help realize the promise of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and to work for future where we all have broadband, everywhere.