Connected Shelter from the Storm February 11th, 2010
Walter McCormick

We in the tech world like to bring demonstrations to Washington to talk about all the potential of broadband in our lives—from health care to small business to reducing our carbon footprint to keeping in touch with work and community.  Over the past week, the entire nation’s capital became a living laboratory of just how important broadband has become in our modern lives and connected economy.

Through nearly a week of snow, ice, blizzards and their aftermath, Washingtonians kept key components of our city and our government working.  We both sought and shared information and assistance.  And, as the days wore on, we even relied on the social nature of online community to stave off cabin fever.

Approximately 50 million Americans have been affected by ‘Snowmageddon.’  From the federal government to small businesses, schools and community centers, closings have been rampant.  But thanks to broadband, many of us – including the staff here at USTelecom – have stayed connected and conducted business (almost) as usual.

How has the high-speed Internet kept commerce from careening to a halt?  Telework tops the list.  As the National Weather Service urged citizens to stay home, many of us seamlessly shifted to our home computers trading emails with colleagues and marching diligently toward our deadlines.

What’s at stake for the public and private sectors?  Productivity and cost.  The federal government loses an estimated $100 million each day its Washington offices close.  Fortunately, agencies such as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office have enabled more than 80 percent of eligible staff to telework – promoting productivity despite weather conditions and defraying the costs of a federal shutdown.  White House staff also continued to work through the storm via broadband, and President Obama supports increasing the rate of federal employees with teleworking capabilities to 50% by 2011, which would be a 10-fold increase from 2009.  And while the FCC may have had to postpone some of its meetings, Chairman Genachowski sent an email to staff acknowledging those at the agency who were “working hard from home.”

Another benefit of broadband?  The power to communicate with and help others.  Snowmageddoncleanup.com encourages people to offer and receive help – a stuck car here, an elderly neighbor in need of a shovel there and a virtual city of good Samaritans.  And for those looking for some good old-fashioned, cold-weather fun, the Internet was a big help there, too.  High-spirited (and safe) snowball fights have been a fixture of city parks, and social media helped organize 2,000 snowball-lobbing enthusiasts, who descended on Washington’s Dupont Circle last weekend.

The days of disconnection when weather strikes are ebbing, thanks to home broadband – and our desire to stay on track and in touch.  We often talk about online community as something separate and apart from ‘the real world.’  As the sun shines on our city once again, perhaps one lasting lesson is that they were never quite so far apart as they seemed.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 11th, 2010 at 4:52 pm and is filed under Benefits of Broadband, Technologies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.