Democrats want everyone to have broadband within five years

Election years are always filled with grand campaign promises in addition to the usual mudslinging. As broadband becomes almost a utility—something most of us cannot live without, political parties are staking out positions on issues that are of particular interest to geeks the technologically adept. The Democratic party is preparing its platform for the fall elections, and one of the planks involves our much-beloved broadband.

According to Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the House Minority Leader, the US is lagging behind other industrialized nations when it comes to the reach of broadband, and the Democrats are "guaranteeing" that broadband will be universally available within five years. Ensuring that there's a chicken in every pot and a broadband modem near every PC will help spur economic development, according to the Democrats.

"We also believe that the nationwide deployment of high speed, always-on broadband and Internet and mobile communications will fuel the development of millions of new jobs in the United States," Pelosi said.

New jobs are good, but what about current jobs? Pelosi says she wants the flow of jobs being outsourced to other countries to come to an stop. To that end, the Democrats are proposing to end tax subsidies for companies that send jobs outside of the US.

Universal access to broadband is a laudable goal, and not just an issue for the Democratic party, as President Bush has said that he wants universal access to broadband in 2007. Is it practical? Currently, most residents of urban and suburban areas have at least one option available to them in the form of DSL or cable. Residents of small towns and rural areas are less likely to have fat broadband pipes running into their homes.

The reach of broadband is likely to grow to near universal levels in the next five years, regardless of the Democratic (or Republican) agenda. That is primarily due to the development of new means of delivery that aren't reliant on current telephone or cable company infrastructure. Although WiMAX is not quite ready for prime time in the US, it should be within the next two years, and become widespread within five. In addition, broadband over power lines has shown enough promise for Google and Goldman Sachs to have invested US$100 million in a BPL carrier last year.

If the expansion of broadband availability in the next five years is a given, let's focus on making sure that those who have it are well served. The best way to do that is by promoting competition. In recent years, the Federal Communications Commission has sent the message that competition is good... kind of. According to the FCC, competition should exist between modes of delivery—cable vs. DSL, for example—and not within them. That vision has resulted in rulings favorable to the telecoms and cable companies, but arguably harmful to consumers. Next-gen fiber networks and BPL will be treated the same way. Universal access to broadband is a good thing. Making sure everyone has access to quality choices is better.