On the recordFebruary 2, 2011
I come to the Senate floor today to discuss an issue of great importance to small businesses, the drivers of this Nation's economy. In the same way the interstate highway system and the railroads revolutionized transport, connecting main streets across the Nation to facilitate the stream of commerce; broadband technology has forever changed the relationship between small businesses and the customers that they serve. This is especially true for rural small businesses, which now have direct access to new customers in major cities across the globe through broadband connectivity. Over 95 percent of the world's customers are located outside of our borders, and in the United States alone, an estimated 60 million Americans use the Internet on a daily basis. With the click of a mouse, they now have access to goods and services from main streets around the world. With every click, our Nation's small businesses are growing, and helping to create jobs as well as further innovate within the U.S. economy. Unfortunately, too many of our small businesses are missing out on these opportunities for growth.
