US Broadband Infrastructure Investments Need Transparency

[Commentary] Government investment in broadband networks has emerged as one of the more controversial parts of the economic stimulus legislation slated for a Senate vote Tuesday. Already, at least $2 billion of a planned $9 billion for broadband has reportedly been cut from the latest bill, as legislators and interest groups squabble over who should control Internet infrastructure funding, and under what rules. What should be less controversial is that intelligent spending decisions about funding for high-speed Internet connections can't be made without good-quality and transparent data about our broadband infrastructure. The key public policy problem with broadband is that citizen-consumers and policy-makers still lack basic information. The Bush administration set a goal of achieving universal broadband by the end of 2007, then declared "mission accomplished" without providing much evidence to substantiate its claim. And under former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin, the agency refused to release what data it did have about competitors in the broadband marketplace. The Obama administration's broadband policy should be guided by three important principles: 1) Use the Internet to empower citizens and consumers. 2) Ensure that infrastructure investment is made on the basis of cost-benefit data. 3) Use the transparency of the Internet to regulate incumbents through public disclosure.