Telecommunications is an Economic Issue

    Telecommunications is an economic issue and particularly, as we are trying to ease the current financial crisis, we must look closely at including broadband incentives in a stimulus package.   

    WIPP members tell us that there is no question that full deployment of broadband networks will increase small business productivity and job creation and it will help them continue to be competititve and innovative - particularly in areas such as health care and education.  

    Telecom Web repored that Grant Seiffert, president of TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association) recently addressed the issue of broadband stimulation to Democratic and Republican leaders, arguing that it would ease the current financial crisis and that the payback could be in the hundreds of billions of dollars annually.   He stated that "Broadband networks directly impact the productivity of our industries and our economy and pivotally affect public safety, education, health care, and countless other functions in Americans' daily lives.   Like any other infrastructure project, the deployment and use of broadband will significantly increase and maintain job growth well beyond the initial investment in the infrastructure itself.".  

     Let's make sure that the stimulus package, to be discussed by Congress includes provisions to boost small business productivity.