McCain & Obama on Broadband Access in Rural Communities

What role should the federal government play in bring broadband access to rural communities? Using National Public Radio interviews with advisors to the McCain and Obama campaigns, the Daily Yonder highlights the differences between the candidates.

NPR: What role should the federal government play in guaranteeing broadband access, particularly in rural communities?

Michael Powell, technology advisor to the McCain campaign:

I think, actually - and he would agree - the government has an important role to play in broadband access in rural communities. In fact, the senator is promoting a program called People Connect, in which he would hope to provide tax benefits and financial benefits to companies who would provide those services to low-income users and rural users.

I think the problem in rural parts of America are that the economics are not nearly as compelling as they are in metropolises like New York or Chicago or Los Angeles, and it may require some government assistance, either through financial subsidy policy or other kinds of creative tools like community or municipal broadband services that help bring those people into the cosmos of technology and connects them to the wonderful benefits that the Net provides.

William Kennard, technology advisor to the Obama campaign:

Well, there again you have a stark difference between the two candidates. Senator McCain has not been supportive of the universal service fund in the country. That is a mechanism that we've used for decades in this country to get phone service into rural areas. Senator Obama embraces it. Because the reality is if we rely simply on the free market, there will be many people in this country that will have to do without. And Senator Obama believes that this is not just a question of access to technology. This is fundamentally about economic development. It's about making sure that people in rural areas can participate in the Information Age.