Groups urge Obama to adopt national broadband strategy

A coalition of 56 telecom companies, educators, industry associations, labor groups and watchdogs urged President-elect Barack Obama Tuesday to develop and implement a national strategy to spur deployment of high-speed Internet access.

Underscoring the adage that politics makes strange bedfellows, AT&T, Cisco, Free Press, Google, New America Foundation, National Cable and Telecommunications Association and Verizon -- parties sometimes at each other's throats over public policy -- are allied.

"I think it's something pretty special in Washington when so many different interests can come together," said Jim Cicconi, senior executive vice president at AT&T. "This is going to be the essential infrastructure for the 21st century. It is crucial to this country's economic growth and global competitiveness."

During a Capitol Hill event to promote the initiative, the coalition issued a plan calling for affordable rates, computer training, faster speeds and wider deployment, particularly in underserved rural areas. While the proposal endorses unfettered Internet access, it balances that with recognition that network operators must be allowed to manage their infrastructure responsibly.

Speakers repeatedly likened a national broadband framework to federal investments in the electrical grid and highway system. The coalition announced it would present the new administration with more detailed recommendations in the spring.

"This is the beginning of a longer process," said Ben Scott, policy director at Free Press, emphasizing that a thriving Internet is key to a robust democracy. Supporters noted that the United States has slipped in international rankings of per-capita broadband adoption and complained that Bush administration policies have not done enough to boost deployment and usage.