R&D for broadband communications: a proposal to revitalize broadband R&D in the united states

Successful implementation of the National Broadband Plan is essential for driving the U.S. economy and society, and for meeting the national challenges. It is a critical enabling infrastructure for other industries such as healthcare, energy, and transportation, and in fact is a key component of the value chain across all sectors. Improving the cost effectiveness and impact of ICT will enable a higher-performance nation and boost the overall economy. As this column has emphasized, research, development, and innovation must be supported across the entire technology supply chain from devices, components, and systems to networking, services, applications, content, and media. R&D investment must also span all phases of the product and services lifecycle to avoid bottlenecks and achieve technology transition success. Furthermore, these advancements must be balanced; for example, as new networking capabilities are deployed, we must also develop new and enhanced policies for ensuring their security, privacy, and trust in order to realize the value and benefits. We recommend the creation of an objective, trusted organization to provide coordination, management, and oversight for broadband R&D investment funding. With R&D investment directed to key gaps, and the development of public-private partnerships and cross-sector coordination through an entity for broadband and information networking R&D, we can ensure improved international competitiveness and productivity improvements for all citizens, sectors, and organizations, public and private.