Broadband & Government Performance
Government Performance Highlights
Americans can check their bank accounts, communicate with customer service representatives and do their shopping anytime, anywhere by using applications enabled by broadband. Americans now expect this level of service from their government and are often disappointed with what they find. While some bright spots exist around filing taxes and paying parking tickets, these are the exception, not the rule. Government has fallen behind the private sector in using broadband to deliver services, and it is time to catch up. Here’s how we get there:
Streamline complex government processes and deliver services online to citizens quickly and efficiently
Broadband-enabled online services can create paths across government’s bureaucratic silos so that someone wanting to access unemployment benefits can deal with the local government and the federal government at the same time. Broadband holds the potential to move all government forms online, eliminating paperwork. Broadband allows for online tutorials for simple government services, which can help free government employees to focus on the most complicated cases. And broadband can increase efficiency by increasing the speed and depth of cooperation across departments and across different levels of government.
Embrace cost-saving platforms and infrastructure that also increase productivity
Through strategic use of broadband-enabled technologies, the federal government has the opportunity to become a model of efficiency and performance. The federal government can adopt social media to improve internal collaboration, communication, and efficiency.
Partner with ISPs to make sure America’s communications networks are strong and secure
Among the most significant changes of the 21st century is our reliance on the Internet in all sectors of society – from banking to correspondence, entertainment to employment. This growth has also exposed Americans to new and sometimes unforeseen threats. Building upon efforts already taken by ISPs, the FCC should work with ISPs to build robust cybersecurity protection and defenses into networks offered to business and individuals. To meet this global challenge, the government should also continue to build workforce capability in cybersecurity to ensure our networks – and the information that travels over them – are reliable, safe, and secure.
Allow state and local governments to leverage the buying power of the federal government to get lower service prices for telecommunication services and infrastructure
The federal government has negotiated a telecommunications and network services contract to provide voice, IP, wireless and satellite services called the Networx contract. Just as state and local governments can buy IT using another federal contract, they should be able to buy telecom using the Networx contract.