Arlington, Va. – Dave McCurdy, president of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA), today thanked Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) for his introduction of the National Broadband Strategy Act of 2002 and for joining the ever-growing chorus of voices encouraging the expansion of this promising technology.

“The sooner we get affordable, competitive high-speed access rolled out to communities across the country, the better,” said McCurdy. “The impact broadband will have on education, medicine, government and business cannot be overstated, but the process of bringing this technology to the masses has been a slow one so far.

“We have advocated a national plan for broadband deployment for some time, and we are encouraged by Senator Lieberman’s interest. His recent white paper and the National Broadband Strategy Act display an understanding that this technology is about far more than just faster e-mail access and an always-on Internet connection.

“A proposal for research and development spending, demand and supply incentives, and an assessment of broadband’s limitations and challenges are just a few of the elements necessary for pushing this boat away from the dock. We look forward to working with Senator Lieberman, as well as with other members of the Senate, House and Administration, to move the U.S. further and faster in the global broadband arena.”