the Digital Town Hall

"Innovation" is a buzzword that people often find hard to conceptualize. Webster's dictionary offers "novelty" as a synonym. But it's hard to imagine anyone who thinks of the Internet as just a novelty, rather than the most revolutionary innovation of our time.

So what's the underlying difference between the Internet and something you might find on a 3:00 AM infomercial? The simple answer is that the Internet, unlike an ab-roller or microbrews, provides the base for innumerable new ideas, externalities, and future innovations.

It might help to think of the Internet as a sapling planted less than half a century ago, that has grown and will continue to grow and branch out in every direction. Globally, new concepts, technologies, industries, and even culture have sprung from the Internet's trunk. Most, if not all, of our future innovations will have evolved from or be connected to some aspect of the Internet. Reliable, open broadband access has become a fundamental component and building block for future inventions and ideas. Sustaining the evolutionary impact of the Internet will depend on making sure all users have open, unencumbered access to broadband.

The Internet started out as an American invention, which grew into a worldwide phenomenon that fundamentally changed our way of life. The unfortunate truth is that despite having its roots in the U.S., our nation finds itself at a comparatively low global rank in broadband penetration. The immediate impact of this worrisome deficiency is that the U.S. is now at a competitive disadvantage to our better-wired international neighbors.

This is why the InternetforEveryone.org campaign is so important. In order for the U.S. to seriously maintain its edge as the leading incubator for innovation, we must reclaim our top status in broadband connectivity and ensure that everyone has a chance to create the next paradigm changing innovation.