Broadwing CEO Addresses Congressional Forum on Broadband Policy

📅 March 14, 2002 - On Monday, Broadwing Inc. (broadwing.com -> lumen.com) chairman-electand CEO Rick Ellenberger addressed members of Congress, regulators,communications policy leaders, and business executives, on the technologicaland economic implications of broadband deployment initiatives underconsideration in Congress and at the Federal Communications Commission.

"Broadband communications continue to be heralded as a powerful tool forconnecting people, businesses, and governments together not only to exchangeinformation and ideas, but also to educate citizens, unlock new markets fortrade and commerce, gain productivity increases, and further participationin government and communities - all initiatives which have positivecompetitive, economic, and national security implications," saidEllenberger.
While Ellenberger agreed with the intent of major policy initiatives thathave been offered to promote greater broadband deployment across the UnitedStates, such as the Tauzin-Dingell legislation, the FCC's notice of proposedrulemaking on broadband services, and the TechNet proposal, he explainedthat furthering deployment alone does nothing to create a compelling reasonfor customers to adopt and use broadband services.
"Even ubiquitous broadband deployment will fall short of competitive,economic, or national security objectives unless people actually adoptbroadband technology and use it to work, play, live, and learn," explainedEllenberger.
"We will reach a tipping point of broad adoption when people haveapplications that enable interaction with government, education, andbusiness online, instead of having to wait in line," said Ellenberger.Several applications like interactive completion of everything from taxreturns to motor vehicle registration, online government procurement andcontracting, interactive assistance for veterans, social security, andmedicare recipients, are in their nascent stages today. But to acceleratetheir development and adoption, more needs to be done."
Ellenberger encouraged Congress and the administration to lead by exampleand place the full informational, transactional, developmental, and socialresources of the United States government online by end of this decade.
"As the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world, the USgovernment also has the power to create a robust marketplace for e-commerce,e-learning, and e-medicine and e-government applications, without expendingany additional funds. In fact, it is likely that the cost of obtaining goodsand services would fall as the efficiencies of an electronic marketplaceemerge," Ellenberger continued.
Additionally, companies who currently do business with the government wouldhave a definitive economic incentive to deploy and adopt information andcommunications technology, creating a ripple effect throughout the economy,the Broadwing CEO said.
"Furthermore, the communications and technology infrastructure required tosupport such an initiative, would also provide the foundation to satisfy theneeds of the government for its own secure, flexible, robust communicationsas envisioned by Governor Ridge and the GovNet initiative," Ellenbergerconcluded.