Broadband is an economic engine, driving job creation and
rural development, according to research released by the Internet Innovation
Alliance (IIA), a broad-based coalition supporting broadband access and
adoption for all Americans.
Based on analysis from sources including the American
Library Association and the Federal Communications Commission, the IIA has
identified ten ways broadband contributes to job creation and serves as a
connector of job seekers, employers and employees, listed below:
Jobs that depend on broadband availability are projected
to increase 25 percent by 2018.
A $10 billion investment in broadband would produce
nearly 500,000 new jobs.
Nearly 18 percent of new jobs in North Carolina are
created as a direct result of broadband Internet.
In Minnesota, 60 percent of unemployed adults, 30 percent
of homemakers and almost 17 percent of retirees say they would likely join the
workforce if empowered by teleworking.
Local economic growth and secondary investment enabled by
broadband expansion is 10 times the initial investment.
More than 62 percent of American workers rely on the
Internet to do their jobs.
37 percent of employees say the ability to telecommute
would cause them to choose one job over another.
Among U.S. workers, 14 percent telecommute or work from
home at least one day a week.
Nearly 75 percent of public libraries across the nation
offer computer resources for job seekers.
Job seekers had a 27 percent increase in success by using
social networks like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to generate referrals.
The IIA convened political analysts, economists and small
business owners to explore the impact of investment in broadband technology on
jobs and economic development.
The discussion addressed a range of issues, from the
importance of expanded next-generation mobile broadband for small businesses to
private sector moves like AT&T’s proposed purchase of T-Mobile, which will
create as many as 96,000 jobs, according to a study for the Communications Workers
of America by the Economic Policy Institute.
Equal opportunity in the 21st Century means the same
tools should be available to all Americans to help them achieve their goals.
Every entrepreneur, for example, should have access to mobile broadband, which
would empower them to expand operations, reach new markets and create more
jobs,” said Jamal Simmons, co-chair, IIA.
By Telecomlead.com Team
editor@telecomlead.com