Why It Matters

The Internet has, in a relatively short period of time, become a vital part of American life. Telecommuting, telemedicine, distance learning, electronic shopping, investment management -the list of Web- enabled activities is vast and growing. In short, Americans rely on Web-based communication to learn, play and work. The resources available on the Internet enable us to be more productive and reach new markets around the globe. That is why broadband is not only a key to our quality of life today but also to America's competitiveness tomorrow.

But the fact is, America is being underserved.

At least 114 million adults in the United States are either completely unconnected to the Internet or rely on dialup connections.
The preponderance of these under-served individuals come from low-income households or live in rural or inner-city settings that the existing providers refuse to serve.
Current prices for broadband in the United States are among the highest in the world.
Parents and teachers are saddled with the burden of trying to protect children from indecent content.
Students from household that make less than $20,000 a year are much less likely to have Internet access.
Only 35% of small and independent businesses have company websites and only 59% use the Internet for business related activities.
The United States does not have an interoperable public safety network capable of providing broadband to first responders.
For the sake of competitiveness, individual municipalities have had to try to address the issue of universal broadband with mixed results.