Connecting the Dots for 2007 and Beyond

During the recent presidential election, both candidates set 2007 as a goal to have broadband to all communities, businesses, and citizens of the United States. Unfortunately, neither candidate provided a detailed plan on how we, as a nation, should get there. One of the recurring problems is the lack of well–defined roles for appropriate investments at the national, state, and local level. This paper outlines policies and roles at all three levels that should lead to achieving affordable broadband for all citizens. It also proposes a local broadband architecture that creates a high performance community intranet.