Cover Story

Su bj ec t G ra de an d Te ac he rs ' Co m m en ts Jo b G ro w th A W ag es N ee ds Im pr ov em en t; So m e ex tr a te st in g w ou ld he lp Pr op er ty Va lu es A + N ew Co m pa ni es B + In du st ry M ix B From 1999 to 2002, American communities with broadband access did signifi cantly better than those without access does matter to the economy, just as common sense would say it should. .. " ". .. broadband enhances economic activity, helping to promote job creation both in terms of the total number of jobs and the number of establishments in communities with broadband. .. " ". .. the mean growth in rent. .. employment, number of establishments, and share of establishments in IT-intensive sectors were all higher in the communities with broadband. .. " ". .. we fi nd a substantial positive impact for broadband availability on the growth in total employment. " ". .. broadband has a signifi cant positive effect on the growth in the number of business establishments. .. " ". . .broadband access does enhance economic growth and performance, and. .. the assumed (and oft-touted) economic impacts of broadband are real and measurable. " The present study has several clear implications for policy-makers. The most obvious and important implication is that broadband does matter to the economy. " " Broadband is clearly related to economic well-being and is thus a critical component of our national communications infrastructure. "