• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, June 15, 2011

In an appearance at the national cable convention Wednesday, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski continued his argument that keeping wide broadband availability is critical to the U.S. economy going forward.

Over 93% of the country has cable infrastructure and thus potential broadband availability, which is a "fundamental issue of global competitiveness for us."

Broadband is the "the platform for economic activity growth in the 20th century," he noted -- a platform for addressing national challenges, such as education and civic engagement.

Genachowski credits broadband as a "key to helping us recover from the terrible economic situation of the last few years." He believes that it is an important element in ensuring "sustainable economic growth in the United States."

That allows companies to keep developing cutting-edge technology products and encourages small businesses to go worldwide.

Genachowski also touched on a recent FCC report that suggested states offer a sort of state government version of C-Span. The number of reporters covering state government has declined in recent years. Pulled broadcasts not only would better inform the public, but would help reporters provide coverage from afar.

The chairman also mentioned the U.S. has an advantage with 4G wireless technology, although it brings spectrum challenges.