WASHINGTON: Widespread use of high-speed Internet service by Americans could
contribute as much as $500 billion annually to the US economy, a new study by
the Brookings Institution released on Monday found.
Consumers would benefit from online home shopping, entertainment, traditional
telephone and health care services, as well as reduced commuting, adding $200
billion to the economy if half the country has the high-speed service or $400
billion if almost all Americans have it, the study said.
Plus, the higher consumer demand will also provide a boost to manufacturers
of computers, software and entertainment products, which would add another $50
billion to $100 billion to the economy, according to the study done by economist
Robert Crandall and engineering consultant Charles Jackson.
"The impact of broadband by any measure - in terms of GDP, jobs, US
productivity and efficiency - will be profound," said Jackson. "We're
looking at a transformative technology: one that doesn't just crate change at
the margins of an economic system, but at its core."
The study comes as the US economy is slowing, in part because of the fallout
in the technology sector with the telecommunications industry suffering much of
the pain. Several providers of broadband services have gone belly-up, including
NorthPoint and WinStar Communications Inc.
The study included all types of high-speed Internet service offered, digital
subscriber line (DSL), cable modems, satellites and wireless devices, among
others. Industry estimates project 8 per cent of American homes have high speed
Internet service, known as broadband, and local telephone companies like Verizon
Communications and SBC Communications Inc. are pushing for legislation that
would increase their incentives for deployment.
Reps. Billy Tauzin and John Dingell have proposed legislation that would
eliminate requirements that dominant local telephone carriers open their
networks before they can offer long-distance data services.
At present, Verizon, SBC, BellSouth Corp., and Qwest Communications , all
created from the 1984 breakup of AT&T, must prove their local networks are
open to rivals before they can sell long-distance voice and data services.
The Tauzin-Dingell measure would also eliminate requirements that the Bells
unbundle certain network elements and line-sharing necessary for competitors to
gain access to the local network but would require the Bells to deploy
high-speed Internet service in hard-to-reach and rural areas.
While analysts expect the measure to pass the House, key lawmakers in the
Senate have made it clear the bill will not pass in its current form.
(C) Reuters Limited 2001.