The Right Broadband Stimulus Package

By Rob Atkinson
December 23, 2008

In this blog on The Huffington Post, ITIF President Rob Atkinson discusses how to structure “The Right Broadband Stimulus Package.” In it, Atkinson warns that many of the broadband proposals being made by some public interest organizations, like Free Press, are motivated more by an ideological drive to spur “open” networks and even greater rates of broadband competition. But by structuring incentives in a way that only new startups are likely to qualify for, or with so many restrictions that existing companies will be unlikely to take advantage of them is to ensure that there will be little broadband investment and few jobs as a result. If incentives—whether tax incentives or grants—are to get as much digital infrastructure built in the short term, they need to be structured in ways that are relatively straightforward and easy to use by companies or organizations. Investment tax credits, both incremental and non-incremental, need to be a key part of any solution to expanding broadband in 2009.

Read the blog post

Related Links

What Should the Stimulus Plan Contain?
October 21, 2008
An entry by ITIF President Rob Atkinson on the National Journal Online discusses why investing in digital infrastructure, including broadband, health IT, and smart grid should be core parts of any stimulus package.