This website is the authoritative go-to resource for comments by – and comparisons between – top U.S. policymakers regarding the pace and benefits of broadband deployments. Broadband services play a vital role in a host of areas in both the North American and world economies. These much-sought benefits go beyond consumer desires to include community economic development in rural and urban regions, plus critical applications in education, public safety, military preparedness and disaster response.

As an established leader in government relations and technology standards, the WCA has undertaken this iniative as part of its mission to aid in the spread of broadband and related technologies.We encourage you to submit any relevant comments or proposals -- and thank you for your interest!

Andrew Kreig, President & CEO, WCA

• March 6, 2008 FCC Chief Disrupts Tate-Adelstein  Deal
• March 6, 2008 Votes On Broadband Data Collection Order Likely At March 19 FCC Meeting
• March 6, 2008 Yahoo Again Blocks Microsoft’s Bid
• March 6, 2008 Forrester Outlines Top Consumer Broadband Trends For 2008
• February 28, 2008 Hill Staffers Predict Telecom Issues For House, Senate Commerce Panels
• February 28, 2008 Senate Passes VoIP Enhanced 911 Bill
• More News....

The Bush Administration laid out a clear broadband policy in 2004, with a crucial component being its efforts to rationalize and otherwise make more efficient the use of spectrum. President Bush recognizes the need for broadband deployment, stating: “this country needs a national goal for…the spread of broadband technology.” 

Defining proposals for the policy were unveiled in June 2004 at the US Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration in two separate policy papers. There are a number of additional elements to the administration’s policy including facilitating loans and grants to broadband regions, fostering efficiencies through standards body NIST and other mechanisms. The Administration has also used its majority at the Federal Communications Commission to increase the public interest in communications and enhance user benefits by and for Federal bodies including the general services administration contracts for Federal employees and applications in such specific areas as modern military, homeland security, first responder capabilities and border control.

• The President's Spectrum Policy for the 21st Century Part I, Part II
• Spectrum Management for the 21st Century: Plan to Implement the Recommendations of thePresident's Spectrum Policy Initiative
• WCA Bulletin Item 06/24/04 President Bush Cites Progress For National Spectrum Policy, Broadband, Wireless
• WCA Bulletin Item 06/24/04 US Commerce Department Proposes Spectrum Innovation Test-Bed For Sharing Studie

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez	Ass. Secretary, NTIA, John M. R. Kneuer

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a division of the Department of Commerce, is the government agency charged with advising the President on telecommunications policy.  Additionally, NTIA is responsible for infrastructure and public telecom facility grants, managing the Federal Government’s use of spectrum and performing telecom research for the Federal government and private sector. NTIA’s Assistant Secretary is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. 

The Secretary heads up a number of smaller offices under NTIA including the Office of Spectrum Management (OSM), Office of Policy Analysis and Development (OPAD), Office of International Affairs (OIA), the Institute for Telecommunications Sciences (ITS) and the Office of Telecommunications and Information Applications (OTIA).

• Secretary John Kneuer's Statement Before the House Commerce Committee on Broadband and Spectrum Policy 3/22/07
• Secretary John Kneuer WCA 2006 Keynote: The Intersection of Wireless and Broadband: Administration Spectrum Policy 6/28/06
• Secretary John Kneuer: ENUM: The View From Washington 4/19/06
• Former Secretary Michael D. Ghallager's WCA Symposium Keynote: Wireless: Driving US Innovation and Economic Growth 1/18/06

The Federal Communications Commission was established by the Communications Act of 1934 and is a U.S. government agency charged with regulating interstate and international telecommunications including tv, wire, radio, satellite and cable communications. It reports to Congress and is run by five commissioners, with one designated Chariman. A bi-partisan body, the commissioners are appointed by the President with a limit of three allowed to represent the same political party as the current administration.

The FCC is currently holding hearings on broadband policy to determine the need for modifications and additional enforcement of its Internet Policy Statement, particularly in regards to a non-discrimination provision. Among other things, the commissioners are also commencing an annual notice of inquiry into the timely deployment of broadband services in America. For more information on the FCC Commissioners' notable recent broadband policy statements and speeches see below links on (FCC 07-17) "FCC Begins Inquiries on Broadband Data" and (FCC 07-21) "FCC Begins Inquiries on Broadband Deployment."

• Chairman Kevin J. Martin 4/16/07 (FCC 07-17)
• Chairman Kevin J. Martin 4/16/07 (FCC 07-21)
• Commissioner Michael J. Copps 4/16/07 (FCC 07-17)
• Commissioner Michael J. Copps 4/16/07 (FCC 07-21)
• Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein 4/16/07 (FCC 07-17)
• Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein 4/16/07 (FCC 07-21)
• Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein 6/27/06 WCA 2006 Keynote
• Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate 4/16/07 (FCC 07-17)
• Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate 4/16/07 (FCC 07-21)
• Commissioner Robert M. McDowell 4/16/07 (FCC 07-17)
• Commissioner Robert M. McDowell 4/16/07 (FCC 07-21)

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY). First elected to the Senate in 2000, re-elected in 2006 and currently serving her 2nd term, Senator Clinton announced her candidacy January 20, 2007.  Clinton is the former First Lady of the United States (1993-2001) and the state of Arkansas and is well known in the Senate for her education, labor and technology infrastructure programs aimed at assisting economic development. Relevant leadership roles: Senate Committee on Armed Services, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee; Co-Chair, Congressional E-911 Caucus, Chair of the Steering and Coordination Committee, Member of the Democratic Technology and Communications Committee, Senate National Guard Caucus and Senate Rural Health Caucus among others

BROADBAND POLICY
A key leader in advocating for rural broadband, Senator Clinton announced new additions to her initiatives, including the Rural RISE Act, on March 29 of this year. She commented: “Insuring that we keep rural America prospering is an important goal for our country. …It's time to create jobs and renew the promise of rural communities by investing in broadband… agriculture, healthcare, education, and new sources of capital to bring the Information Age economy to every corner of our country."  The Senator introduced comprehensive legislation in 2006 that would establish an office of Rural Broadband Initiatives at the Department of Agriculture. 

Senator Clinton was a cosponsor of the 2006 Internet Freedom Preservation Act, and continues to support Net-Neutrality legislation.  Speaking at the bill’s re-introduction in January, she explained: “No other communications medium in recent history has had such a profound impact on the expression of speech, education, the dissemination of information, the proliferation of commerce and the exchange of political ideas as the Internet. However, it was under the basic principles of neutrality and non discrimination from its inception that the Internet was able to flourish.”

With her role as co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional E-911 Caucus, Senator Clinton is also highly focused on improving public safety communications issues, including those related to interoperability challenges.

Former Senator Mike Gravel (D-AK). First elected to the Senate in 1969, he served two terms, following four years serving in the Alaskan House of Representatives and campaigned for the office of Vice-President in the 1972 Presidential elections.  Gravel announced his candidacy on April 17, 2006 and is known for his support of Direct Democracy through the National Initiative.   Relevant leadership roles: Former Member Environment and Public Works Committee, Former Chair Energy, Water Resources, Buildings and Grounds, and Environmental Pollution subcommittees, Founder and former President of the Democracy Foundation, Philadelphia II and Direct Democracy.

BROADBAND POLICY
Former Senator Gravel has yet to release a political stance on broadband policy matters. However in the Q&A following his 2006 Announcement for candidacy, he received a question on the growing role of technology and what he would do to increase Internet availability. Gravel said, “I think the technology today is getting more ubiquitous all the time and so...a laptop or a computer will be as ubiquitous as the telephone within five years.”

Additionally, in a November 2000 response to “The Internet and the Future of Democratic Governance,” Gravel expressed his views on the Internet stating: “The Internet , in my view, will usher in the Age of Democracy.”

First elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, he previously served two terms in the Illinois State Senate (1996 and 2002) and practiced as a civil rights lawyer, teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School.  Sen. Obama announced his candidacy February 10, 2007. Obama is best known for his entrance into the public spotlight with a keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Relevant leadership roles: Environment and Public Works Committee, Veterans’ Affairs Committee and Foreign Relations Committee, Senate Committee for Homeland Security and Government Affairs among others.

BROADBAND POLICY
In a speech announcing his 2008 bid for the Democratic nomination, Senator Obama directly underlined his technological advancement goals in respect to rural broadband, saying: in the digital age…Let's make college more affordable, and let's invest in scientific research, and let's lay down broadband lines through the heart of inner cities and rural towns all across America.”  

The Senator has also been vocal in expressing his support for legislation backing Net Neutrality, stating in a June 2006 Podcast that:  “It is because the Internet is a neutral platform that I can put out this podcast and transmit it over the Internet without having to go through any corporate media middleman. I can say what I want without censorship or without having to pay a special charge.”

Former Senator John Edwards (D-NC). First elected to the Senate in 1998 following a lengthy legal career as a trial lawyer, he served one term and went on to be chosen as the Democratic Vice-President nominee in the 2004 elections.  Edwards announced his candidacy for 2008 on December 26, 2006, and is well known for his optimistic “Two Americas” speech during the 2004 elections.  Relevant leadership roles: Former Member of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and Committee on Judiciary; Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Task Force U.S. Russia Relations; Former Director of the Center on Poverty, Work, and Opportunity at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill among others.

BROADBAND POLICY
As part of his campaign’s proposal for a Rural Recovery Act, John Edwards highlights the importance for increased investment in rural broadband:  “Once a world leader in broadband access, the U.S. is now 21st in the world, trailing Estonia…Edwards will establish a national broadband map to identify gaps in availability, price, and speed and require telephone and cable companies not to discriminate against rural communities in building their broadband networks.”

John Edwards is a supporter of Net Neutrality, advocating on behalf of the issue, in addition to rural broadband initiatives, in a 2006 letter of support: “We should be making the Internet more accessible, not less. We should be working to connect rural areas, schools in poor neighborhoods and other areas where people have not yet benefited from access to innovation and technology.”

Edwards is a former member of the Congressional Internet Caucus and the Select Committee on Intelligence, through which he pioneered  anti-spyware legislation through the “Spyware Control Act.”

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH). First elected to represent Ohio’s 10th district in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996 he has served five consecutive terms, in addition to having been an Ohio State Senator (1994-1996), Mayor of Cleveland (1977-1979) and Democratic primary candidate in the 2004 elections.  Congressman Kucinich announced his candidacy December 12, 2006 and is well known as the Peace Candidate who advocates for workers rights, civil rights and human rights. Relevant leadership roles:  Congressional Education and Labor Committee, Government Reform Committee and the Congressional Progressive Caucus; Chairman of the Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform among others.

BROADBAND POLICY
Congressman Kucinich advocates for consumer interests in discussing telecommunications on his congressional website: “The information society we live in today can be convenient, but overwhelming and prohibitively expensive ….  Consumer interests must be defended to ensure fair access to phone, internet, cable, wireless, and satellite communications.”

A supporter of "Media Reform," Kucinich chairs the Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the House Government Reform Committee, which plans to hold hearing criticizing the Federal Communications Commission. In a March 28, 2007 interview with Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!, Kucinich said “I want to proceed with hearings sometime in the next few months that would review the -- those animating principles of the FCC embodied in the Federal Communications Act of 1934, and that is that the electronic media shall serve in the public interest, convenience, and necessity.”

The Congressman voted to establish Net Neutrality last year, and was against the Internet Freedom and Broadband Deployment Act of 2001, which would have allowed the four Bell telephone companies to offer broadband Internet through their long distance connections with disregard to competition laws highlighted in the1996 Telecommunications Act.

Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM). First elected as New Mexico’s Governor in 2002, he is currently serving his second term, having previously served as the U.S. Secretary of Energy (1998-2001), the 22nd Ambassador to the United Nations (1997-1998) and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing New Mexico’s third district (1983-1997). Governor Richardson announced his candidacy March 28, 2007 and is well known for his high profile in foreign policy affairs and his interest in supporting the Native American community. Relevant leadership roles: Chair, Democratic Governors’ Association, Chair, Freedom House; Member, Hispanic Council on Foreign Affairs, Former Chairman, House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Native American Affairs, Former Member, House Committee on Comerce and four time Nobel Peace Prize Nominee among others.

BROADBAND POLICY
In an August 2007 Podcast with New Hampshire Eagle Times reporter Sarwar Kashmeri, Richardson was quoted as saying: " I would be a leader in promoting Internet broadband access, because I think it's technology that is needed...What I want to be sure of is that when we have broadband access and Internet access that it goes to the community, that it goes to schools, that it goes to the private sector, that it goes to businesses, that it not just go to government offices, county and city governments - that it be broadly based so that mainly schools can benefit from full Internet and broadband access."

Governor Richardson supports rural broadband efforts, demonstrated by his 2007 budget which included a section on expanding broadband infrastructure, noting the importance of providing state agencies with an efficient network to support public safety, schools and Telehealth. An April 2006 White Paper on “What Governor’s Are Planning for Information Technology” pointed to Richardson’s support of Telehealth initiatives via his March 2004 Healthcare Bill 581 which proposed expansion of rural broadband networks to make health services such as electronic prescription monitoring available to rural New Mexicans.

Gov. Richardson is invested in broadband as a tool to improve local schools, and in 2006 reached a settlement with Quest that lead “Quest to invest $265 million in new technology [and] $15 million for computer literacy programs for disadvantaged schools.” 

In 2005, Richardson held three technology planning summits, including a Telecommunications Infrastructure Conference.  The Governor commented: “Technology-based economic development has been, and continues to be, a priority for my administration, and these three events will showcase the potential for growing sustainable, high-wage jobs and business -- building on New Mexico's unparalleled technology resources."

Senator Joeseph Biden (D-DE). First elected to the Senate in 1972, re-elected in 1978, 1984, 1990, 1996 and 2002 and currently serving his 6th term, Senator Biden announced his candidacy January 7, 2007.  Biden is well known for his strong foreign policy voice, having served for three decades on the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee and becoming its chairman in January. Relevant leadership roles: Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Co-Chairman of the Senate National Security Working Group, the Congressional Fireman’s Caucus and the Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus; Member of the Congressional Air Force Caucus, National Guard Caucus, and the Congressional Port Security Caucus among others.

BROADBAND POLICY
Senator Biden has been active in the Net Neutrality debate, hesitating to advocate for Net Neutrality legislation to control a problem that has yet to exist.  As cited in Jeffrey Batash’s Market Watch Telecom Report Biden said “…that lawmakers would form long lines in the rush to craft Net-neutrality rules if network operators actually began to discriminate against popular Web sites.”

Also he has a strong history of upholding international intellectual property law as is voiced in his Los Angeles Times February 2003 Op-ed “High-Tech Piracy Is Jeopardizing American Jobs,” in which he argues that “…the advent of broadband and other emerging technologies is making theft and reproduction of intellectual property easier,” and advocates for “the type of law enforcement expertise and resources required to catch intellectual property pirates.”

Additionally Senator Biden was in favor of deregulation of the telecommunications industry, having voted yes to the Telecommunications Competition and Deregulation Act of 1995.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT). First elected to the U.S. Senate in 1980 and re-elected in 1986, 1992, 1998 and 2004, having previously served three terms in the House of Representatives, Senator Dodd announced his candidacy on January 11, 2007. Dodd also served as General Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (1995-1997), and is well known in the Senate for his focus on children’s issues, health care and education.  Relevant leadership roles: Chairman of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and Senate Rules and Administration Committee, Co-Chair of the House/Senate International Education Study Group and Congressional Privacy Caucus and Member of the Technology and Communications Committee among others.

BROADBAND POLICY
Senator Dodd supports increasing broadband access as documented in his video response to a question on media reform July 23, 2007. He is an advocate for Net Neutrality, saying in a June 2006 statement of support that “With more Americans accessing broadband and other high speed technology, the Internet will certainly continue to serve as an important tool for technological innovation…It’s imperative that Congress helps to continue and expand the free flow of information on the Internet….”

As the Vice-Chair for the Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem, Dodd advocated for increased Internet Security in his February 2000 Opening Statement to the Joint Economic Committee:  “…we need to move forward on a variety of public policy fronts, we need to address the shortcomings in the protection of privacy, the ability to secure critical infrastructure, and the creation of strong public-private partnerships. This is the way forward, for all of us, in the new Internet economy.”

Senator Dodd has also supported the use of wireless technology in energy-saving initiatives such as the Connecticut Demand Response Technology Project.

Former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR). First elected as Governor of Arkansas in 1996, he served two consecutive terms (1996-2007) and was previously the state’s Lieutenant Governor (1993-1996).  Huckabee entered politics following a career as a Southern Baptist pastor and former President of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention (1989-1991).  He announced his candidacy on January 29, 2007. Relevant Leadership Roles: Chair, Education Commission of the States; Former Chair, National Governors’ Association (NGA), Former President, Council of State Governments, Former State co-chairman, Delta Regional Authority; Former Chair, Southern Governors Association, Southern Regional Education Board, Southern Growth Policies Board, Southern Technology Council, Southern International Trade Council, Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission and Member of the Republican Governors Association, among others.

BROADBAND POLICY
Former Governor Huckabee was a pioneer of E-Government.  He explains: “Moving our state government into the age of Web sites, e-mail and on-line services was not only a necessary and much needed action, but one of the most beneficial changes made to state government during the past decade.  State employees now have better access to information they need to conduct their work, and Arkansas citizens have better access to government services and assistance."

Huckabee has spoken on behalf of rural broadband via his E-Government solutions.  In a 2006 interview with Government Technology, Huckabee said: "In a rural state like Arkansas, technology erases the distance and makes the disadvantages become advantages… People can live in the mountains or on a lake and have peace and fresh air, yet be connected to the world."

Senator John McCain (R-AZ). First elected to the Senate in 1986, re-elected in 1992, 1998 and 2004 and having previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Arizona’s 1st district, Senator John McCain announced his candidacy on February 28.  The Senator pursued the Republican nomination in the 2000 presidential election and is well known for his support for government spending reform and fighting terrorism. McCain is very active in the Senate and has strong policy positions on a number of issues. Relevant Leadership Roles: Armed Services Committee, Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee, Chair of the Indian Affairs Committee.  Member, Environmental and Energy Study Conference, Senate Centrist Coalition, Senate Co Chair, National Security Caucus, Senate Steering Committee and the Senate Wilderness and Public Lands Caucus among others.

BROADBAND POLICY
Active in the interoperability for public safety debate, Senator McCain introduced the Spectrum Availability for Emergency-Response and Law-Enforcement to Improve Vital Emergency Services Act in March of this year.  The legislation would allow an extra 30 MHz of radio spectrum for a broadband network to be used by first responders from state and Federal levels.   He said: “We will not solve our nation’s interoperability crisis until all emergency personnel involved in responding to an incident are able to communicate seamlessly, and that is what this legislation is intended to accomplish.”

The Senator also introduced rural broadband legislation in 2002 describing it as a “…comprehensive, deregulatory, but measured approach to providing more Americans with more broadband choices.”  He further explained that “by ensuring that the market, not government, regulates the deployment of broadband services, the legislation will promote investment and innovation in broadband facilities - and consumers will benefit.”

McCain presided over 2006’s Net Neutrality hearings, making opening remarks and advocating on the importance of the issue.  He does not support so-called Net Neutrality legislation, saying: “I strongly support innovation, and I believe that the network operators should get a return on their infrastructure investments, which will encourage more development of broadband capacity in the U.S.”

A former WCA convention speaker, Senator McCain has interests in many areas of telecommunication policy and additionally advocates for the development of Municipal Broadband Networks.

Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX). Currently representing Texas’s 14th district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1997, Congressman Paul also represented the 22nd district in 1976 and from 1979-1985.  He announced his candidacy on March 12, having previously been chosen as the Libertarian Party nominee for the presidential election of 1988. Paul is well known for his opposition to the Iraq war and many other traditional Republican policy positions in Congress. Relevant Leadership Roles: Financial Services Committee, International Relations Committee, and Joint Economic Committee. Founder, FREE and the National Endowment for Liberty, Founder/Honorary Chairman, The Liberty Committee. Member, Congressional Fire Services Caucus and Congressional Rural Caucus among others.

BROADBAND POLICY
Congressman Paul is very involved in telecom legislation and has said, "I believe strongly in protecting the Internet…My colleagues aren't quite as interested in the subject. That, to me, is disappointing."  He voted against the Internet Freedom and Broadband Deployment Act of 2001 and was also against net neutrality legislation which would regulate the Internet. Consequently, he was ranked as the member of Congress with the most Internet-friendly voting record by C-NET.

Additionally he is a cosponsor of HR 743 which provides a permanent moratorium on Internet taxes and has voted against increasing FCC fines for indecent broadcasting. Paul is the lead Republican supporter of HR 2046 legislation restoring American's right to gamble online and commented: “…there is a higher moral high ground in the sense that protecting liberty is more important than passing a bill that regulates something on the Internet.”

Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA). Having served as Governor of the State of Massachusetts from 2002 to 2006, Mitt Romney did not seek a second term and announced his candidacy on February 13.  The former President/CEO of the Salt Lake Winter Olympics Organizing Committee (1999-2002) is also the co-founder of Bain Capital, a venture capital investment firm that helped launch numerous successful companies including Staples, Bright Horizon’s Family Solutions and Brookstone.  Romney is well known for his education reform and fund raising, additionally he is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Relevant Leadership Roles: Former Chair, Republican Governors Association; Points of Light Foundation, Boy Scouts of America and City Year among others.

BROADBAND POLICY
A supporter of interoperability for public safety officials, Romney testified before the U.S. House of Representatives on behalf of the National Governor’s Association discussing: First Responders: How States, Localities and the Federal Government Can Strengthen Their Partnership to Make America Safer.  He cited the problems associated with public safety communication: “You have all heard the anecdotes that are beginning to circulate – of communities side-by-side that purchase incompatible radio equipment and cannot talk with each other when responding to multi-jurisdictional emergencies,” and offered “ensuring the interoperability of equipment,” as a solution.

Additionally Romney has been vocal about supporting the telecommunications industry in this country and investing in the public and private technologies sector.

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NY). Having served two terms as Mayor of New York City (1994-2001), Rudy Giuliani announced his candidacy on February 15, 2007.  Giuliani began his career as a U.S. Attorney and was named Associate Attorney General in 1981, supervising the Bureau of Corrections, the Drug Enforcement Agency, US Marshals and all of the Federal law enforcement agencies.  As Mayor, he instituted a number of law enforcement strategies and is recognized as having significantly reduced crime in New York City.  Giuliani currently works in the private sector. Among his most recent endeavers have been the security consulting business Giuliani Partners, the law firm Bracewell & Giuliani, and a heavy schedule of speeches. He is well known for his leadership during the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.  Relevant Leadership Roles: Former Associate Attorney General and Former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York among others.