U.S. ranks sixth worldwide, TechNet says WASHINGTON – Michigan is the U.S. state with the friendliest policies for broadband Internet deployment, Technology Network (TechNet), a national network of more than 200 technology executives, said Thursday.TechNet cited Michigan in its State Broadband Index for the state’s creation of a Broadband Development Authority, which provides loans to broadband providers, and a law that eliminated right-of-way disparities for laying broadband lines. Right-of-way issues include the permits necessary for laying new broadband lines, such as fiber-optic cable.A standardized and quick right-of-way permitting process is the best step states can take to promote broadband adoption, said Rick White, president and chief executive officer of TechNet. Such policies are important, White said, because the U.S. currently ranks sixth in the world in broadband access: only six out of 100 residents have high-speed Internet, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm also noted that the state on Wednesday announced an initiative to put a laptop computer on the desk of every sixth-grader in the state. Michigan’s goal is to support the needs of both its citizens and high-tech industries such as automobile manufacturing, she said.“In Michigan, our broadband efforts are about making sure that Michigan businesses and consumers can move at the speed of technology,” said Granholm, during a press conference announcing the TechNet rankings. “That is what our broadband effort is fundamentally all about — which is making Michigan a plug-and-play state in order to attract digital-age businesses.”Following Michigan in TechNet’s list were, in descending order, Florida, Missouri, Texas, Ohio, Washington, Kansas, Virginia, Colorado, and Iowa. California, home to Silicon Valley, was ranked 14th. TechNet only ranked as low as number 25. TechNet members praised the top states for mostly staying out of the way of broadband deployment, although the group also asked for state action to spur broadband. “We’ve called on the states to develop a strategy and plan that ensures a coordinated commitment to broadband,” said Eric Benhamou, chairman of 3Com and Palm. “TechNet members believe that the private sector should be the primary driver of investments in next-generation networks.”TechNet has a goal of 100 million households having 100-megabit broadband connections by the year 2010. State policies can help accomplish that goal by providing financial incentives for companies to serve neglected regions, adopting state broadband strategies, and mapping the infrastructure available in each state, TechNet members said.Although the U.S. government regulates broadband on some levels, the actions states take can have a large impact on broadband rollout, said Pat Gelsinger, chief technology officer at Intel. “The state can have an enormous impact in broadband development and deployment,” he said. “(This report) establishes a set of policies that can be embraced and deployed by all 50 states.” The State Broadband Index is available at http://www.technet.org/resources/State_Broadband_Index.pdf, and TechNet’s explanation of the rankings for the top 10 states is at http://www.technet.org/resources/SummaryFindings_BB_Top10_States.doc. Technology Industry