The Challenge
In late 2005, deployment of high-speed Internet services still lagged in the U.S. compared to other countries and a national policy to expedite broadband rollout was not yet in place. While policymakers and pundits lauded broadband’s potential, there was lack of detailed analysis of the economic benefits both to the national economy and to specific communities.

IDI’s challenge was to develop new economic evidence on the benefits of broadband to older Americans and people with disabilities and to put pressure on Congress to develop new policies for accelerated broadband deployment. We set out to demonstrate the importance of broadband access, quantify the economic gains and raise the national priority of broadband access by showcasing how it would benefit all segments of society.

IDI’s Solution
IDI, working with its affiliated think tank, the New Millennium Research Council (NMRC), recruited nationally respected economist Bob Litan of the Brookings Institution and Kauffman Foundation to produce a first-of-its-kind economic analysis of accelerated broadband deployment to seniors and people with disabilities. The NMRC worked with Litan to create models that projected the economic benefits made possible by broadband and launched the report in a public event in December 2005. In advance of the event, the NMRC circulated the draft report to telecommunications experts and representatives from the disability and older American communities and secured their endorsements and quotes for a media release. At the event, Litan’s findings were endorsed by three experts who commented on his work and its importance to a variety of communities.

In April 2006, the NMRC conducted a Capitol Hill briefing with Litan to stress the need for new policies to fully realize broadband benefits. Litan was joined by Andy Imparato of the American Association of People with Disabilities, Paul Schroeder from American Foundation for the Blind, and Kristin Fabos of SeniorNet, who spoke about the importance of broadband to the disability and senior constituencies.

The Results
The NMRC’s report and events generated tremendous news coverage and became an important point of reference in ongoing broadband policy debates. Litan was interviewed on National Public Radio, and the report was featured in Business Week Online, and covered in major news dailies such as the Miami Herald, Kansas City Star, and Orlando Sentinel. Since the report’s publication, new emphasis has been placed on the need for rapid broadband deployment.

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