Technology was a huge part of President Barack Obama's agenda in his State of the Union address. Amid wide-ranging issues about the economy, health care, and national security, the President reiterated his stance on net neutrality and called for wider access to high-speed broadband Internet.
Obama said he wanted to expand American broadband Internet, which falls far below the fastest Internet speeds in the world, to reach "every community."
"I intend to protect a free and open Internet, extend its reach to every classroom and every community, and help folks build the fastest networks, so that the next generation of digital innovators and entrepreneurs have the platform to keep reshaping our world," he said.
The President's remarks refer to a plan unveiled by the White House last week via YouTube, which includes encouraging municipalities to build their own broadband networks through a series of grants and incentives.
Jeffrey Zients, director of the White House's National Economic Council, believes high-speed broadband Internet is so essential to the economy that it must be treated as a public utility.
"Broadband is no longer a luxury," Zients said (video). "It is a necessity for business, for families, and for our national competitiveness."
However, broadband speeds in the United States lag far behind the fastest in the world, which are found in Seoul, Hong Kong and Tokyo, according to data gleaned by the Open Technology Institute of the New America Foundation.
There are few American cities that can match the 1 Gbps broadband speeds in these places, and these are Chattanooga, Tenn.; Kansas City, Kan.; Kansas City, Mo; Lafayette, La.; and Bristol, Va.
In each of these cities, not one of the big phone or cable companies is responsible for providing high-speed broadband. Instead, the Internet provider is the municipality or a startup. Elsewhere, consumers do not have plenty of choice besides one of the big four: Comcast, Time Warner, AT&T, or Verizon.
Last week, he called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to use its power to override state laws that limit the construction of municipality-built broadband networks.
"I want Americans to win the race for the kinds of discoveries that unleash new jobs -- converting sunlight into liquid fuel; creating revolutionary prosthetics so that a veteran who gave his arms for his country can play catch with his kid; pushing out into the solar system not just to visit but to stay," the President said.
To accomplish this, the country doesn't just need high-speed broadband accessible to all users; it also needs Internet service providers that do not discriminate against users.
The President did not go into further detail about his plans for a "free and open" Internet, but he has issued his strongest statement yet about net neutrality when, in November, he urged the FCC to reclassify broadband as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act.
This would reclassify ISPs as public utilities subject to increased government regulation and prevent the creation of so-called Internet fast lanes that would favor the content produced by businesses that can afford to pay a premium.
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is expected to announce the third and final set of net neutrality rules next month, which are largely expected to build upon the President's recommendation.
