U.S. needs stronger broadband policy

Government policy plays a less important role in broadband adoption than environmental factors such as population density and price, but the U.S. government should take some new steps to help the country catch up to many other industrialized nations, according to a report released by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a Washington (DC) think tank. According to ITIF, the government could 1) adopt more favorable tax policies, allowing broadband network operators to depreciate their investments in next-generation networks faster, 2) make more wireless spectrum available, 3) expand and reform Universal Service Fund programs aimed at delivering telecom services to rural areas, 3) fund state programs already working to expand broadband deployment, 4) fund a grant program focused on digital literacy and access to computers, and 5) focus on demand for broadband. The ITIF report compared the U.S. broadband environment to eight other countries, most with higher speeds and lower prices. In several cases, the countries launched extensive broadband programs in the last decade, with government working closely with broadband providers to expand coverage and roll out next-generation broadband. "The overall message is, leadership matters," said ITIF president Robert Atkinson. "At the end the day, top-level leadership from the highest ranks of government does seem to make a difference."
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/05/01/US-needs-stronger-broadband-po...

Report Explains Broadband Leadership, Need for Strategy
http://www.govtech.com/dc/articles/306670