Broadband & Economic Opportunity
Economic Opportunity Highlights
While broadband enabled technologies have clearly brought tremendous economic benefits, the benefits have not reached enough businesses, communities and American workers. Ensuring innovation flourishes across all aspects of the broadband system—broadband networks, devices, and applications—is crucial to the future of the country. The FCC will partner with businesses, including women-owned and minority-owned enterprises, as well as investors and entrepreneurs from all backgrounds to support a flourishing digital economy, and ensure that all Americans can enjoy the benefits of broadband opportunity.
Give small businesses and their employees the broadband training they need to remain competitive in the global economy
Small businesses account for a majority of the more than 1.2 million new jobs generated by the growth of the Internet during the last 10 to 15 years. The Small Business Administration and the FCC’s Office of Communications Business Opportunities should work in conjunction with leading private firms from the communications and technology sectors to provide broadband tools and training to small businesses. This kind of training will take proven ideas and practices and help more American entrepreneurs apply them in the digital economy.
Build a new online national employment assistance platform to efficiently connect struggling workers with resources
The ingenuity and drive of the American workforce has made this country an engine of growth. As our economy continues to rebuild, broadband can deliver assistance and aid to help workers get back on their feet and excel in the modern workplace. Using technology-based instruction for vocational training reduces the cost by about a third, while also reducing time required and increasing effectiveness of instruction.
Keep American communities competitive and innovative in the 21st century economy by putting broadband at the forefront of regional development
Broadband allows regions and communities to compete globally, attracting new firms, investments and jobs with next-generation communications infrastructure. Looking ahead, American communities without broadband will find themselves left out of the digital revolution. Local economic development plans and federal programs must take this into account when assessing the economic prospects of a community.
Help eliminate tax and regulatory barriers to telework so workers can do their jobs from anywhere
Next-generation technologies are connecting employers with jobs across town and across the country. Telework is a pillar of the modern, digital economy. The FCC will work with other federal agencies to serve as a model institution for the private sector by aggressively implementing policies and technology that enable teleworking.