Communications Crossroads - Fall 2007 - (Page 26)

straight talk Here are some excerpts from an address delivered by USTelecom President and CEO Walter B. McCormick Jr. to the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council in July, 2007. Making the Most of the Broadband Future We have today a diverse array of companies—telecoms, cable companies, wireless companies, even power companies and municipalities—investing billions of dollars to expand and upgrade the nation’s communications infrastructure, to enhance our global competitiveness in the information age and to lay the foundation for a new generation of American innovation and entrepreneurism. … So it’s encouraging to see some genuine bipartisan agreement on the importance of broadband deployment, the importance of ensuring these opportunities are accessible to all Americans and the importance of continuing to invest in ever more sophisticated networks that can keep up with our nation’s growing ‘need for speed.’ According to the latest estimates, by 2010 the web trafﬁc generated by 20 homes—just 20 homes—will equal the capacity demands of the entire Internet in 1995. … matter where they live, and use innovative, interactive new tools to ignite their knowledge. • The environment. More sophisticated telecommuting options can create opportunities for young parents who want to stay close to home. It can keep more cars off the road—helping us trade in freeway time for family time. It can reduce our dependence on foreign oil and contribute to a more sustainable future for the planet. • Our information economy? Broadband can bring its reach into any community, leveling the playing ﬁeld, creating jobs and fueling the entrepreneurial spirit of our nation. Today’s Competitive Broadband Marketplace American consumers have the most diverse and competitive broadband market in the world. You have cable and telecom. You have wireless broadband, which is currently the fastest-growing market segment. You have 2.5 million American getting broadband from their power company. You have cities across the country getting in on the Internet act, as well. And we’re doing a better job—although we can do even more—of making sure everyone has access to these opportunities. African American home broadband adoption, for example, has nearly tripled in the past two years, going from 14% to 40%. Sixty-six percent of Latinos with home Internet access now use broadband connections. We have the most progress still ahead of us in rural communities, where the cost of these networks is so much higher. There, in particular, there is a role Broadband’s Potential But the truth is: We have barely scratched the surface of broadband’s full potential—for our economy, for our quality of life. • The employment growth possible with universal broadband? 1.2 million American jobs. • Health care. Secure, automated medical records can save lives, reduce human error and dramatically control costs. It can make possible a revolution in patient care, particularly for those with chronic illnesses who can beneﬁt from regular in-home monitoring. • Education. We can put bright, curious young minds together with our best teachers, no for government—encouraging deployment in high-cost rural areas. I think there also is room for more public-private partnerships that get at the root causes holding back further broadband adoption. For example, still today one in four U.S. homes have no personal computer— making it hard for broadband to make a difference. … Overall, it’s a good story today. Prices are coming down. Speeds are picking up. Consumers continue to have and will always have the freedom to go where they want on the Internet—to the content of their choice with what they want, when they want it. Some say we have to regulate the Internet to ensure that’s the case. In the absence of any consumer complaints, I can’t imagine a more patronizing or anti-innovation policy. So I appreciate that cooler heads so far have prevailed, keeping the focus where it needs to be today: on investment, on deployment, on extending broadband’s reach to all Americans. … We want to keep the focus on investment and deployment. We want policies that welcome everyone who is willing to invest—policies that embrace a diversity of technologies and companies and people. We believe that broadband has a revolutionary potential to advance our lives. We are proud to be a part of these efforts, and we look forward to working closely with a wide array of organizations and people who can help our nation make the most of the broadband future. 26 COMMUNICATIONS CROSSROADS www.ustelecom.org http://www.ustelecom.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Communications Crossroads - Fall 2007

Up Front Contents TeleBites Cover Story: The World at Your Doorstep Business Advantages: Reaching Out to the Fast-Growing Hispanic Market Technology Today: Ideas from Foreign Telecoms You Should Consider Industry Calendar Index to Advertisers People Straight Talk

Communications Crossroads - Fall 2007

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