Shirley Franklin: Achieving Universal Broadband Access Key Piece to Economic Recovery in U.S.

Former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin: Achieving Universal Broadband Access is a Key Piece of U.S. Economic Recovery & FCC Must Focus Efforts on Framework Leading to 100% Adoption.

Pundits and pollsters are trying to figure out what’s next in Washington. Voters were simply expressing their desire to be heard by their representatives and policymakers – their message was simple – fix the economy! Yet a recent article in Politico indicates that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will continue to push regulations that most agree put the future of the Internet at risk – all this without creating or saving jobs or otherwise helping to grow our struggling economy.

The reality is that Main Street America is in the middle of a pretty rough patch. With high unemployment rates and low levels of confidence that are hitting our communities of color exceptionally hard, what every day Americans want is to see Washington working for them - they want to see more jobs and signs of our economic recovery. This is where we should be focused.

The Internet has great potential in these unfortunately tough times, playing a key role in adding jobs and supporting economic development as well as making the goal of universal broadband a reality for an increasing number of minorities who use advanced wireless technologies. Expanding net neutrality principles to include wireless is simply shortsighted particularly at a time when further setbacks can be extremely damaging to communities that are buried in debt and desperately trying to make ends meet. For the FCC to consider any regulation that moves beyond the principles laid out by Rep. Waxman would be a big mistake.

At this critical time, any and all efforts should be focused on our recovery. Achieving universal broadband access is a key piece to the recovery puzzle and therefore, the FCC should focus their efforts on ensuring a framework that incentivizes the private investment, deployment and that will ultimately lead to 100 percent adoption.

CLICK HERE to read more on Net Neutrality.