Democrats in the House of Representatives have proposed an "innovation agenda" calling for affordable broadband access in every home within five years, writes AdAge. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Cal.) said the goal is to keep the country the "most competitive and innovative nation in the world." The plan calls for, inter alia, a national broadband policy that takes broadband to rural and underserved communities and supports new broadband technology via wireless and power lines.

"Universal broadband will propel advanced Internet applications, such as distance learning, health IT, video-on-demand and voice over IP," she said, and it "will put all Americans, no matter where they live, no more than a keystroke or a mouse click away from the jobs and opportunity broadband both creates and supports."

House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) in a statement said his party had been the one supporting a high-tech agenda of innovation, whereas Democrats have supported higher taxes, litigation and regulation.