Australia is doing it.

You know me.

Typically, I do not recommend the Fed get involved. But we would not have NASA without them. Also, we would not have one of the best national highways systems in the world without them. We should have one the best broadband wireless networks in the world too, but we do not because the Fed is busy “creating jobs, issuing press releases, and raising taxes.” For the sake of clarity, the broadband network I am suggesting would allow anyone to access the Internet wirelessly from the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado to beneath sea level in Death Valley and from Alaska to Florida.

Australia is showing America the way. Australia's government expanded its ambitious plan to bring broadband to much of the vast country with a high-speed fiber optic network, known as the national broadband network. It is actually the platform of the current government. For example, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said, “I will build the National Broadband Network. (The opposition) will not." Gillard must be reading my blogs. I have said that this is the type of platform the republicans should run on. Listen to Gillard’s reasons for the national broadband network.

Gillard emphasized that the high-speed fiber optic network would create 25,000 new jobs and facilitate modern education that would keep Australia competitive against other nations. "I simply don't understand why (the opposition) thinks it's a wise idea for children in this nation to get an education not of the same standard as children in Singapore," Gillard said. "To make sure our children get a world-class education, they need access to world-class technology." Wow would not this be great for the USA children. In other words, a national broadband network means real jobs and better education. I agree.

But wait Mr. Bob can not the private sector do this in America? No. However, despite the Fed’s failure to act, the private sector is trying. But we are winding up with an imperfect system and billions of dollars of debt that burden our telecommunication companies as each try to build a proprietary system. It is similar to having Ford, GM and Chrysler each build a highway system that is only accessible by their own cars. If we had done that, then we would have bankrupted the automotive companies much earlier. Also, we would still not have a highway system that works for everyone as our does.

See the comparison with our broadband. Sprint works for some in New York, AT&T sometimes in LA, Verizon in Florida, but no where do they all work. For less money than the telecommunications invested in their own proprietary networks, we could have a national broadband wireless system that provided Internet access from anywhere in the country. But we do not and never will at this rate. Where is a republican with the vision of a Kennedy democrat? You may recall he announced the trip to the moon. We need a similar announcement for a national wireless trip to create jobs and provide better access to education.

I am hoping Kerry makes the announcement.