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Barack Obama calls for massive US broadband rollout

It would seem US President-elect Barack Obama is standing by his electoral campaign pledge to provide the country with a massive boost to broadband.

He laid out his proposals, which included rolling out broadband to unserved and under-served areas, during a recent speech in Fairfax, Virginia. He will reportedly push Congress to pass the broadband proposals in a matter of weeks. The complete stimulus package could cost US$3 trillion.

Obama said: “It means expanding broadband lines across America, so that a small business in a rural town can connect and compete with their counterparts anywhere in the world.”

Several tech groups have called for a national broadband policy that would include a mixture of tax credits, loans and payments to help broadband providers bring broadband to new areas.

In addition to the broadband plans in Obama’s proposal are his goals to have an Internet-based smart energy grid, computers for schools, and all US medical records computerised in the next five years.

The smart energy grids would allow real-time monitoring of a customer's energy use through broadband Internet technology. Advocates of a national smart grid say it would likely result in decreased electricity use, allow energy companies to more efficiently distribute electricity, and encourage homeowners to install alternative energy generators.

One of Obama's hopes for the computerisation of medical records is to reduce ‘deadly but preventable’ medical errors in the US health care system.

11/01/2009
Author: CompareBroadbandUK staff writer

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