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Because every American
should have access
to broadband Internet.

The Internet Innovation Alliance is a broad-based coalition of business and non-profit organizations that aim to ensure every American, regardless of race, income or geography, has access to the critical tool that is broadband Internet. The IIA seeks to promote public policies that support equal opportunity for universal broadband availability and adoption so that everyone, everywhere can seize the benefits of the Internet - from education to health care, employment to community building, civic engagement and beyond.

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The Podium

Blog posts tagged with 'Private Investment'

Monday, February 08

Net Neutrality & Investment

By Bruce

Last week, Entropy Economics released a detailed report on the effects net neutrality would have on jobs. After examining the official comments submitted to the FCC, Entropy found that those who could be counted as “Net Neutrality Skeptics” directly employ 1,440,021 people. “Net Neutrality Supporters,” meanwhile, only employ 148,936 — a difference of 10 to 1.

The Entropy report also looked at the amount of Capital Expenditures for skeptics and supporters, and the result was even more startling. From an article at Digital Society by the report’s author, Bret Swanson (who is also an IIA Broadband Ambassador):

We have often noted the communications sector’s important capital investment role in the U.S. economy. In 2008, U.S. info-tech capital investment totaled $455 billion, or 43% of all U.S. non-structure investment. The communications service providers alone invest $65 billion or more annually. Among companies filing FCC comments, the Net Neutrality Skeptics invested $189 billion over the last three years, compared to $18 billion for the Net Neutrality Supporters. Two of the nation’s largest infrastructure investors, AT&T and Verizon, each have more employees than all the Net Neutrality Supporting companies combined.

Net neutrality supporters often dismiss the effect new regulations will have on private investment. But as the Entropy report makes clear, discouraging private investment from net neutrality skeptics would have a chilling effect on the U.S. economy. And with the FCC’s own estimates for the cost of a national broadband plan reaching as high as $350 billion, a reduction in private investment could put the goal of bringing broadband to everyone out of reach.

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Tags: economy, jobs, net neutrality, private investment, entropy economics

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Wednesday, February 03

More Minority Groups Warning Against Net Neutrality

By Bruce

Via Broadband Breakfast, three minority business groups — the National Black Chamber of Commerce, the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce — held a conference call yesterday to express their concerns over the effect of proposed net neutrality regulations:

The business officials expressed concern over internet regulation, emphasizing their priority to bring broadband access to minority populations.

They said that broadband plays a role in job creation and as a vehicle for innovation, growth, and competition. This, they said, was a reason to avoid net neutrality regulations, as they could slow down the deployment of broadband networks in underserved areas.

With estimates for the final tab of a national broadband plan reaching as high as $350 billion, private investment will be critical for wiring America. Any new regulations that stall investment could put nationwide broadband out of reach.

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Tags: fcc, national broadband plan, net neutrality, minorities, private investment

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Thursday, November 12

IIA Video: Making the Grid Smart

By IIA

At last month’s Grid Week event, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra spoke about broadband and making America’s grid “smart,” the need to encourage private investment to make the change happen, and the Obama administration’s “innovation strategy.”

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Tags: broadband, innovation, smart grids, grid week, private investment, iia videos

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Monday, October 12

Paying for the Plan

By Brad

With the FCC estimating that it could cost as much as $350 billion to bring high-speed Internet to every home in America, Geoff Daily of App Rising asks a sensible question: How are we going to pay for it?

We need to acknowledge that private providers alone may not have the capacity to invest that much money on their own over the next few years. They’ve already sunk a lot of money into their existing networks, and for the most part are only looking to incrementally upgrade. Plus they have a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders to be prudent in what they do invest in, which is why rural areas are often left behind.

That’s why we need to make sure the conversation about how to pay for an ambitious national broadband plan focuses more on answering the question of how do we make broadband a more attractive investment for private capital sources, regardless of who’s doing the deployment.

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Tags: fcc, national broadband plan, private investment

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