Telecommunication

Telecommunications, particularly broadband applications and services, has the power to transform the American economy. The ability to engage in e-commerce is vital to U.S. businesses. Broadband connection allows businesses, regardless of size or location, to sell to customers around the country and the world.

Over the past two years, the telecommunications industry has invested more than $120 billion in broadband infrastructure. Nevertheless, there are still parts of the country where people and businesses do not have access to broadband or its related applications and services. It will take up to $350 billion to make broadband universally available in the United States, according to the Federal Communications Commission Broadband Task Force. The vast majority of this spending will come from the private sector. Accelerating broadband use and availability will bolster U.S. economic competitiveness and improve quality of life by providing all Americans with greater choice of goods and services.

As Congress and the administration take steps to improve our telecommunications infrastructure, the Chamber recommends:

• Encouraging public-private partnerships to accelerate broadband deployment and adoption across the United States.
• Providing the private sector with incentives, such as tax credits, to encourage infrastructure investment.
• Using auctions—without any restrictions that may deter potential bidders—to allocate wireless spectrum for mobile broadband.
• Continuing to refrain from regulating the broadband marketplace.
• Recognizing that broadband service providers are competing furiously for customers and need regulatory flexibility to respond quickly to market developments.
• Supporting at all levels of government prompt, cost-based, and nondiscriminatory processes and decisions on zoning and rights-of-way, the terms and conditions for which are related solely to management of the right-of-way or site.