Washington, DC — April 2, 2008 — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the national non-profit Connected Nation announced today the creation of Connect!, a national campaign to promote the importance and benefits of broadband and related technologies. The campaign kicks off with a series of regional dialogues to be held across the United States over the coming months.

"We are bringing together lawmakers, businesses, consumers, and experts in order to raise awareness on broadband use and discuss the importance of sound broadband policies and programs for the economic interests of the United States," said William L. Kovacs, Vice President of Environment, Technology, and Regulatory Affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  "These dialogues will emphasize that the ability to engage in e-commerce is critical for U.S. businesses. E-commerce allows all businesses, no matter how small or where they are located, to sell to customers everywhere."

The dialogues will address the ability of broadband to impact everything from economic development and U.S. global competitiveness to telemedicine and education.  The first dialogue will be held April 24 in Columbus, OH, and will feature a keynote speech by Governor Ted Strickland (D). Other discussions will follow in Charleston, SC; Albany, NY; Olympia, WA; Kansas City, MO; and Fargo, ND through mid-August.
      
"With a modest increase in broadband adoption, the U.S. could realize a total direct economic impact of $134 billion annually including $92 billion in new wages from the 2.4 million jobs created through broadband growth," said Brian Mefford, President and CEO of Connected Nation, Inc.  "To realize these results, public-private partnerships and events like these regional dialogues are necessary to foster the deployment of broadband to all communities while increasing user demand through state and local grassroots awareness and adoption campaigns."

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation, representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region. For more information on the broadband dialogues, please visit: www.connectednation.org or www.uschamber.com/telecom.