PCCA Journal|1
st
Quarter 2013
26
Broadband Is Key Driver of Economic, Social Growth
S
tates with high levels of in-
vestment in their broadband
infrastructure stand a better
chance of seeing economic
benefits, according to a new
study. TechNet, a bipartisan policy and
political network of CEOs that pro-
motes the innovation economy, recently
unveiled its 2012 State Broadband Index
assessing state policies and business
climate that impact broadband deploy-
ment and demand. The index also offers
stakeholders a roadmap for accelerating
progress in building a more innovative
and competitive economy.
Investment Is Key
The report, the “TechNet 2012 State
Broadband Index: Where States Rank as
They Look to High Speed Connectivity
to Grow Strong Economies and Vibrant
Communities,” found that states actively
investing in and utilizing broadband
networks are seeing stronger economic
growth, better connected communities,
and enhanced quality of life. Achiev-
ing higher network speeds depends
on private investment and appropriate
public policies and investments where
necessary. Specifically, the TechNet State
Broadband Index rates the states on in-
dicators of broadband adoption, network
quality, and economic structure as a way
of taking stock of where states stand in
broadband deployment and adoption.
“The TechNet State Broadband
Index highlights the important role of
the states in determining our nation’s
broadband future,” TechNet President
and CEO Rey Ramsey said. “Simply put,
broadband is the foundation for our
nation’s continued technology and eco-
nomic leadership. Broadband is shown
to help create economic growth, job
creation, and many other benefits. We
applaud all the states at the top of this
index for their leadership in building the
broadband infrastructure that is helping
deliver economic success and improved
quality of life for millions of our fellow
citizens.”
Washington Leads List
Washington tops the TechNet State
Broadband Index, driven by an economy
that has a strong orientation toward
information and communication technol-
ogy and apps development. Massachu-
setts and Delaware round out the top
three states, with Massachusetts’ cluster
of universities and tech companies and
Delaware’s high network quality and
concentration of corporate headquarters
reliant on broadband connectivity.
“TechNet’s Broadband study confirms
the importance of high-speed internet
access for our state,” said Washington
Governor Chris Gregoire. “Our compa-
nies and residents are innovators, and
they make the most of the high-speed
networks in our communities. Washing-
ton’s broadband environment has grown
through years of planning and com-
mitment, and we welcome the findings
released today.”
“Massachusetts is a world leader in
the innovation economy because of our
infrastructure investments and broad-
band expansion is a key part of that
strategy. We are committed to ensuring
dependable, high-speed internet access
is available to every home and business
in the Commonwealth by June 2013,”
said Massachusetts Governor Deval
Patrick. “This study reaffirms the impor-
tance of our partnerships with private
industries and Massachusetts’ leadership
in the areas of broadband development
and innovation.”
“We must create the conditions that
both drive innovation and foster a glob-
ally competitive environment,” said Del-
aware Governor Jack Markell. “Delaware
is broadband rich. Our existing network
is a valuable asset that allows us to sup-
port existing companies and continually
expand our economic impact.”
The study takes a quantitative ap-
proach to rank each state based on its
approach to improving the broadband
climate through the development of the
index, which includes data on adoption,
network speeds, and economic structure,
and includes case studies on six states
to illustrate the varied approaches to
building broadband infrastructure taken
by individual states. States are actively
pursuing ways to use broadband to
promote economic development, build
strong communities, improve delivery
of government services, and transform
education strategies. The ingredients for
meeting those goals are fast and ubiqui-
tous broadband networks, a population
of online users, and an economic struc-
ture that helps drive broadband innova-
tion and investment in new broadband
uses. Not all states have these ingredi-
ents in equal measure.
According to the report, the following
are the top ten leading states in the na-
tion in the development of broadband in-
frastructure that is promoting economic
development, stronger communities, im-
proved delivery of government services,
and upgraded educational systems:
1.
Washington
2.
Massachusetts
3.
Delaware
4.
Maryland
5.
California
6.
New Jersey
7.
Vermont
8.
Virginia
Telecom News
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