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At a policy forum on Capitol Hill, CWA President Larry Cohen called investment in the build-out of true high speed broadband networks critical to the nation's economic recovery.

"Creating quality jobs is the real stimulus our economy needs. We've seen what happened when people received those $300 or so stimulus checks – not much. Creating jobs, and the multiplier effect that produces additional job growth, is what will help our communities and get our country out of this economic crisis," Cohen said.

CWA was one of more than 50 organizations, including AT&T, Google and other companies, consumer and public interest groups, state and local governments and Internet providers and users, that have signed on to the call for action on a national broadband strategy.

A $5 billion increase in broadband investment would create 100,000 new jobs in telecom and information technology in the year that the investment is made, Cohen said. In addition, a 7 percent increase in broadband penetration would create 2.4 million new jobs throughout the economy, he added.

President-elect Barack Obama has recognized high speed broadband as a critical element of economic development for the United States, and supports the build-out of high-speed networks to fuel the nation's economic growth. 

CWA also called for full funding of the Broadband Data Improvement Act, which became law in October, to help support and encourage state initiatives and private-public partnerships, as well as to identify barriers to broadband adoption in the states.

CWA's Speed Matters Strategic Industry Fund campaign was the prime mover behind this measure, which requires the Federal Communications Commission to conduct annual studies on broadband deployment and adds a question to the federal Census on dial-up and broadband Internet use.