State-mandated broadband policies have their limits, something called the state line. What results is a patchwork of broadband implementation that tends to be state-centric and out of sync with other states. So, reaching a critical mass that benefits the U.S. as a whole will take a long time.

A Federal mandate will provide umbrella guidelines for broadband implementation and set a faster timetable for a nationwide deployment. Such a policy need not supersede state mandates but rather dovetail with them. A directive like this also establishes important guidelines for service providers and their equipment suppliers.

First, is broadband a technology or a service? The current FCC definitions of broadband were set at a time when dial-up was the only way to access the Internet. Today, megabit speeds are the norm with both wireline and wireless broadband technologies. But, what is a minimum acceptable speed? We get hung up on technology and alphabet soup terminology – xDSL, FTTx, xPON, DOCSIS, WiMAX, LTE– and who has the faster pipe.

Technology too has its limits. For instance, major initiatives such as AT&T’s U-verse and Verizon’s FiOS, when completed, will reach only about half of their respective customers, and will be used by even fewer of them. The remaining customers will be served by other broadband facilities, both wired and wireless. Can these customers expect the same level of speed and content as U-verse and FiOS customers?

Second, should broadband be considered a lifeline service just as wired telephone service has been for the past 75 years? In a broadband network’s all-packet environment, voice is no longer mutually exclusive from data. As users, we are becoming more dependent on broadband for both voice and data communications than we were for basic telephone service.

Finally, how long to achieve universal broadband? Universal wired telephone service took decades to be realized. Today’s wireline and wireless options allow for faster broadband deployment. With the right incentives, the service providers will move at the pace that’s right for the country.

A Federal universal broadband mandate will set a nationwide standard that enables and stimulates economic growth.

President-elect Obama: just text me for a briefing!

John M. Celentano is President of Skyline Marketing Group, a Baltimore, MD-based telecom market analysis and consulting firm. He can be reached at john@skylinemarketing.com