Need For Speed

Like traditional infrastructure, broadband Internet connectivity is key to our state's economic future, so let's invest in a superfast system that everyone in Maryland can access

Say you are the president of the United States. Your country invented the Internet, yet it has fallen to 15th in the world rankings for high-speed or broadband Internet connectivity. How do you explain such a development? Well, if you are President Bush, you declare victory, claim success in supplying affordable broadband Internet access to Americans, and ignore the fact that many of your citizens don't have access to broadband - and those who do pay much higher fees for much slower speeds than almost every other industrialized nation in the world. But if you're a progressive member of the Maryland General Assembly, you may have a different answer.

America has always realized the importance of investing in traditional infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, railways and waterways. These transportation systems are central to our economy, and we have willingly financed their construction, maintenance and upgrades.

The Internet is the public infrastructure of our time. It is a key component of economic development - and much cheaper to develop than traditional infrastructure. To be able to capitalize on all the economic opportunities and savings made possible by broadband connectivity, we must invest in building a strong framework.

It would not make sense to build highways with gravel when we have asphalt, just because it was cheaper. Why would we build broadband infrastructure with no capability for fast access, when more advanced technology is available? Moreover, much of what is passing as "broadband" under industry classifications doesn't constitute the true high-speed connectivity that we should be building right now.

If the nation were to invest in ubiquitous broadband - in rural and urban areas, with connectivity speeds capable of supporting advanced technological programs - the infrastructure in time would pay for itself. We are failing to take advantage of a resource that is capable of expanding the economy by $134 billion annually and creating 1.2 million jobs per year, according to reports.

Some forward-looking states, such as Maryland, are less willing than Mr. Bush to claim premature victory and more willing than federal legislators to address America's digital decline. People in Southern and Western Maryland have frequently voiced frustration over their lack of affordable and reliable Internet.