House Small Business Committee Hears About the Importance of Broadband

Small businesses employ half of the nation's scientists and engineers, House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y. said during the March 7 hearing last week on “Advancing the Innovation Agenda.” I told her that as President of TIA, I have seen the impact small business is having on technology and innovation. After all, 80 percent of TIA members are small and medium size companies.

At this hearing, several business and technology leaders talked about the innovative work done by small business around the country. I am proud I was able to add TIA's voice to the discussion. These members of Congress wanted to know what the key to keeping America competitive and innovative is. I answered in one word: “broadband.”

“We have seen that demand for broadband and high-speed services is fueling this growth, as carriers invest in new fiber, new IP technology and new wireless infrastructure to provide state-of-the-art voice, video and data services,” I said.

These leaders on the Small Business Committee wanted to know what they could do to help small businesses stay competitive. Of course, there are many policy items that will help spur innovation: broadband tax credits, research and development research, access to markets, just to name a few.

One of the most pressing concerns for small business is the burdensome auditing requirements created by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act . I urged the Committee to help find ways to balance the public interest gained from accounting regulations with the financial realities of the small companies that must comply with them.

We at TIA understand the contributions small and medium-size businesses make to our industry and to our country. Fortunately, there are many in Congress who understand this too.

Sincerely,
Grant Seiffert
President
Telecommunications Industry Association