Bringing High Speed Internet to All

Arguably, the internet is the greatest innovation since what?  The mastery of flight? The discovery of electricity? The first lick of flame from the caveman's fire?  To this humble blogger's way of thinking, the internet is all that and much more.  (For me, the internet is responsible for where I live, what I do for a living and who I live with -- doesn't get much more fundamental than that, does it?)

While the world wide web may not be as integral to the survivability of all Americans as it is to mine (evidence= the near panic attacks when a thunderstorm cuts the power to this house), clearly it has changed the basic social, political and economic rules of the game.   Permeating nearly all aspects of society, the internet and consequently, access to that internet, has far-reaching implications for the future of this country.

Much has been written about the digital divide, initially viewed only as the difference between those with computers and those without access to computers and caused primarily by economic inequalities.  Over time, however, the concept of digital disparity has been extended to mean broadband internet access.

 And the U.S. is falling woefully behind in the area of broadband deployment and adoption, dropping from 4th to 15th place among industrialized nation since 2001.   To counter this trend, InternetforEveryone.org was launched today. A national initiative of public interest, civic and industry groups, Internet for Everyone mission : Every American must be connected to a fast, affordable, and open Internet to serve as an active citizen in a 21st century democracy and to prosper in today’s economy. High-speed Internet is no longer a luxury; it’s a lifeline for all Americans. Our broad alliance is working together to see that our nation's leaders adopt a national plan to bring open, high-speed Internet connections into every home, at a price all of us can afford.

InternetforEveryone.org initiative calls on Congress and the president to act in the public interest by enacting a plan for the wired and wireless Internet built upon the following principles:

• Access. Every home and business in America must have access to a high-speed, world class communications infrastructure.
• Choice. Every consumer must enjoy real competition in online content as well as among high-speed Internet providers to achieve lower prices and higher speeds.
• Openness. Every Internet user should have the right to freedom of speech and commerce online in an open market without gatekeepers or discrimination.
• Innovation. The Internet should continue to create good jobs, foster entrepreneurship, spread new ideas and serve as a leading engine of economic growth.

We applaud this initiative! Here at the Progressive Puppy, we support anything that helps keep people in their pjs, dribbling Dr. Pepper down their chins and punching their keyboards with Cheeto-dusted fingers!  Okay, enough with the blogger stereotypes. High speed internet access is an important issue and Internet for Everyone is an significant, serious effort to promote digital parity in this nation.