Broadband for America has released a new TV advertisement, “Up and Down” on the FCC’s proposed Internet reclassification, which would cost hundreds of thousands of jobs and risk more than $60 billion in broadband investment. From the ad:

“It’s rough out there. Families are struggling and Main Street still needs jobs. Yet, there are bright spots: Broadband companies have invested billions and are putting more than three million Americans to work. Broadband’s leading the recovery, but now some are urging we impose 1930’s telephone regulations on the 21^st Century Internet. A leading paper says this approach could ‘cripple development of the Internet,’ another says this is ‘unacceptable.’ Congress should act now to keep the Internet innovating and growing. “

You can watch the full advertisement here.

Broadband for America has released a new television ad, “Uncertainty,” looking at the risks to continued broadband infrastructure investment, if the FCC continues with its “reclassification” plan. From the ad:

“Broadband in America is an amazing story, but we’ve hit a speed bump: The FCC’s authority to advance broadband is not clear. This uncertainty puts investment at risk and slows down progress to expand broadband everywhere. Congress needs to provide clear, targeted rules of the road. That’s how we can preserve an open Internet, drive innovation and ensure more investment. Leaders in Congress say they are ready to get to work. So are we. Let’s get this right.”

You can watch the full ad here.

Broadband for America has released a new video featuring honorary co-chair Harold Ford, Jr. and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke at the Democratic Leadership Council’s Jobs and Innovation Roundtable. Some highlights from the video:

FORD: If there is anyone who will be able to allow the President or help the President live up to his goal and reach his goal of doubling exports in this country over the next five years, it's someone who's done it. So, Governor, we're delighted not only that you are now Secretary of Commerce but at such an important time for our country, as we grow, as we make investments, and new innovations - be it broadband, be it energy, be it education, be it health care. It's your job and certainly your task, and we are delighted to be partners with you here at the DLC in working to achieve that.

LOCKE: Nowadays you cannot be an innovator, or live in an innovative community, unless you have robust access to broadband connectivity. And at the Commerce Department we're the lead agency in the administration's $7.2 billion effort to expand high-speed Internet access throughout America.

… 

The private sector then will come in with billions of dollars in additional investments to connect or tap in to this federally funded Internet backbone and then the private sector will provide high-speed Internet service directly to homes or businesses.

And let’s remember that we don't promote innovation just for its own sake. We promote innovation because it has always been, and always will be, the prime driver of job creation in this country.

You can watch the full video here.

Broadband for America today released a new video from our recent Broadband & Job Growth Forum in Danville, Virginia, featuring Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, Danville Mayor Sherman Saunders. Some highlights from the video:

Bolling: “Up until about two or three years ago, the number one export for Virginia was tobacco. Today, the number one export for Virginia is computer chips. That’s an amazing transformation of our economy. But it’s that kind of transformation that we’re going to see in the years to come and broadband access, availability, and use is going to be critical to our ability to see that kind of transformation take place here in southern Virginia, in other parts of our State, and frankly, all across the country and all around the world.”

Sanders: “Danville is very competitive when it comes down to economic development. We’re trying to bring jobs here, keep jobs here. In today’s world, it’s all about speed. Broadband provides that speed. We have many examples of how it’s helping our city. One includes a recent developer came to our city looking for a place to bring some jobs, a data center - we believe, and he selected Danville. Going to hire 400 people. The average wage will be $40,000 per year. That’s good in this tough economy.”

“So we asked this developer: ‘why did you choose Danville and this location?’ He said: ‘One word: broadband. Broadband is why we’re here.’”

You can watch the full video here.

Today, Politico posted a clip from an upcoming BfA video featuring Rosario Dawson talking about her work with Voto Latino and how the Internet enables civic participation.

Watch for the full video later this week on the BfA website.

To watch the clip and read the report, click here.

Yesterday, BfA attended an event hosted by the Technology Policy Institute and the Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy and interviewed some of the attendees about the recently released National Broadband Plan.
 
From the video:
 
Kyle McSlarrow, President & CEO of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association:
The trick here is identifying places where the government can help, where it’s clearly within its purview, and for my part the rest of the trick is: How do we keep the government from getting in the way.
 
Joseph Waz, Senior VP External Affairs, Comcast:
As we move forward, there’s a lot that’s controversial in the national broadband plan. There are some that are salivating for new fights in Washington; I don’t think they’ll be disappointed. But I think there’s one fight that should be everybody’s fight and that is breaking down the barriers to adoption and utilization of broadband.
 
To watch the video, click here.