Pres. Obama features high speed Internet in State of the Union

President Obama, in his State of the Union speech, addressed the topic of building out broadband connectivity.

President Obama stated that:

"Within the next five years, we'll make it possible for businesses to deploy the next generation of high-speed wireless coverage to 98 percent of all Americans. This isn't just about faster Internet or fewer dropped calls. It's about connecting every part of America to the digital age. It's about a rural community in Iowa or Alabama where farmers and small business owners will be able to sell their products all over the world. It's about a firefighter who can download the design of a burning building onto a handheld device; a student who can take classes with a digital textbook; or a patient who can have face-to-face video chats with her doctor.

All these investments — in innovation, education, and infrastructure — will make America a better place to do business and create jobs. But to help our companies compete, we also have to knock down barriers that stand in the way of their success."

In order for widespread wireless technology to succeed there are earlier steps that need to be taken, starting with creating a strong, wired network to support the increase of wireless technology.

The explosion of wireless technology over the course of the last few years is straining the limits of the current U.S. network capacity. President Obama's plan to expand wireless technology will require a more robust wired broadband connection.

We applaud the President for featuring Internet connectivity in the 2011 State of the Union.

Remarks by the President in State of Union Address

Why Connecting the Unconnected to Broadband Helps Everyone on the Network

Proliferation of Wireless Devices Requires Robust Broadband Connections