What is America's Broadband Agenda?

[Commentary] What is America's broadband agenda today? The desire for broadband Internet to be available to everyone wanting it is a noble and worthwhile goal, but in order to be successful it requires a set of interconnected strategies.

If we build it, they won't just come. Giving someone a device to access the Internet won't do it either. It requires a combination of infrastructure, device availability and education, in the form of digital literacy and other public awareness efforts, to get us to that goal. A recent report by Ev Ehrlich of the Progressive Policy Institute, Shaping the Digital Age: A Progressive Broadband Agenda, sets out a series of interconnected strategies for a "progressive broadband agenda" reflecting some of the nuances that are inherent in achieving the goal of meaningful Internet use for everyone in the United States. With broadband, we are looking to do what's fair and just for everyone. While it would be much easier if there were a straightforward solution, a national conversation that explores all facets of America's broadband agenda is critical.

[Christina Gagnier is an intellectual property attorney and partner at Gagnier Margossian LLP]