The Importance of Widespread Broadband

Ever wonder why widespread high-speed broadband access is a media topic so often? Many technical subjects receive little media attention (smart meters and the electrical grid come to mind), so Internet access seems like an exception. It’s not really.

Technology’s Progression

The Internet is already in its teenage years. It’s come a long way since the dial up days of the ’90s. Other than web pages that were almost entirely text, the load time for an average page would sometimes be over a minute. In the ’00s, the technologies advanced and were standardized, and websites were able to handle more complex content. Part of this progress was because the backbone of the Internet was improving and website developers had standards to work with so their work would look relatively the same in the available web browsers. Images were no longer the only consideration (just a large one) and video could be seen by users with a cable modem and a decent computer.

Essential or a Luxury?

Today, people have become used to having high-speed Internet access and websites like Netflix, HBOGO and Vimeo thrive because of the advances in technology and infrastructure. We’ve written before about the diffusion of innovations and how well-designed advances in technology become part of our culture over time and often become fixtures in everyday life — some to the point of being considered necessary and regulated by the government to ensure fair access (electricity, phone, cars and to a lesser extent, television). Should the Internet be any different? Is it still a luxury? In many states a utility company must obtain a “Certificate of Public Good” in order to do business. If cable television is considered to be vital enough to the public for the dissemination of information, the Internet should easily fall under the same rules.

English: Availability of 4 Mbps-Capable Broadb...

Availability of 4 Mbps-Capable Broadband Networks in the United States by County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Internet has proven to be a very valuable tool for people and businesses. The playing field, while not quite level, is on a much more gradual slope than any other platform available to the public. Score one for small business. The Internet, with net neutrality intact, would be a much more level playing field than television. Availability (access) to technology communication tools is one key to unlocking the public’s potential to drive innovation. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started Apple in a garage in suburban California. That same kind of home-made innovation should be able to happen online in the rural Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.