White House Announces September 21 Date for Release of Broadband Report
Editor’s Note: The White House announced that it would be releasing a report from its Broadband Opportunity Council on Monday, September 21. Read more about the council. Coming Soon: Building on Our Progress of Broadband Investment and Competition August 20, 2015 at 5:57 PM ET by Jeffrey Zients Summ
Editor’s Note: The White House announced that it would be releasing a report from its Broadband Opportunity Council on Monday, September 21. Read more about the council.
Coming Soon: Building on Our Progress of Broadband Investment and CompetitionAugust 20, 2015 at 5:57 PM ET by Jeffrey Zients
Summary:The White House has received input from all federal agencies on new ways to promote broadband investment, deployment, and competition.
President Obama has led a sustained effort to improve and extend the Internet to every corner of the country and improve broadband speed and quality. And under his leadership, we’ve made major gains. Since 2009, 45 million more Americans have adopted broadband. We’ve expanded high-speed wireless to cover more than 98 percent of the American people. We’ve installed and upgraded over 114,000 miles of fiber as part of the Recovery Act. And we’ve stood up for net neutrality, so companies of all sizes have the ability to provide innovative products and services to customers around the world without unfair barriers being put in their way.
All this progress brings real benefits for American students, workers, and businesses. But we still have work to do. There are places where Internet access and digital content can be a game-changer, but where service just isn’t keeping up.
When the President traveled to Cedar Falls, Iowa earlier this year, he identified access to high-speed, affordable broadband as a top national priority. His message back to the government was just as clear: Where there is an incentive we can provide to spur investment, we’ll create it. Where there is red tape we should cut, we’ll cut it. That goes not just in the White House, but for the entire Administration.
At Cedar Falls, the President created by Presidential Memorandum the Broadband Opportunity Council, directing all federal agencies to think creatively and develop new ways to promote broadband investment, deployment, and competition. The President gave this whole-of-government effort a five-month deadline.
And today, we are pleased to report that the White House has received this input from all federal agencies. On September 21, we will be sharing a formal report and recommendations to improve broadband across the country. So stay tuned — we are excited for you to see what comes next.
