16
STAGING THE FUTURE
US to lift laws
harming wider
broadband access
Helping communities around
the US gain access to fast and
affordable broadband is among
the top priorities of President
Obama and his administration.
A cornerstone of this effort is to call an end
to laws in 19 US States that harm broadband
service competition. Some of these laws are
specifically written by special interests trying
to stifle new competitors. As a result, they
have held back broadband access and led
to high prices for consumers, slow internet
speed and a lack of economic opportunities.
The restrictions – and in some cases, bans
– limit the range of options available to
communities to build and expand local
broadband
infrastructure,
including
ownership of networks. These barriers to
competition were imposed in response
to intense cable and telecommunications
industry lobbying.
Since President Obama took office,
national broadband availability has
increased at all advertised speed levels,
according to a White House report.
Today, about 93% of Americans have access
to wired broadband speeds of at least
3-Mbps downstream and 99% have access
to similarly fast mobile wireless broadband.
This increased availability reflects both
private and public investment, including
the $4 billion invested through the National
Telecommunications
and
Information
Administration's
(NTIA)
Broadband
Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP)
and $3.5 billion invested through the
US Department of Agriculture's (USDA)
Rural Utilities Service Broadband Initiative
Program (BIP). Both are part of the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009,
