WASHINGTON – Today, global tech trade association ITI outlined a set of policies the Biden-Harris Administration can adopt to ensure that the U.S. technology sector can continue to serve as indispensable partners with the federal government in facilitating American economic recovery and growth.

ITI’s policy recommendations to the Biden-Harris team focus on ensuring an essential workforce, providing the digital infrastructure necessary for the success of American citizens and businesses, and investing in the delivery and efficiency of digital government services.

“The tech industry is committed to working with the Biden-Harris Administration and the new Congress to promote policies that are essential to U.S. competitiveness, promote innovation, create jobs, and aggressively advance the U.S. economic recovery and growth,” said ITI’s President and CEO Jason Oxman. “Digital technology has been essential to adjusting to life during the pandemic, and it will be even more essential to our resilience going forward.”

Specific priority recommendations outlined in ITI’s memo include:

  • Investing in an essential workforce through immigration reform, as well as educating and training investments; The Biden Administration should support immigration reform that successfully meets the demands of a globally competitive, digital economy, including through increased funding for STEM and computer science education as well as public-private initiatives to ensure that Americans have the right set of digital skills.
  • Building the digital infrastructure necessary to close the digital divide;The Biden Administration should set a goal of making high speed wireless broadband and 5G available to all Americans within 5 years. The Administration should commit at least $80 billion in secure broadband infrastructure funding.
  • Adopting innovative technologies to improve the delivery and efficiency of civil infrastructure development and digital government services. The Biden Administration should modernize and improve the U.S. public sector’s IT and cybersecurity to improve the delivery, security, and efficiency of digital government services and access to public data.

ITI’s memo emphasizes the essential role that digital technology has played in the lives of Americans as we have adjusted to living, working, learning, and interacting during the pandemic, and that it will be ever more essential to the country’s economic recovery once the pandemic ends.

The memo was shared with transition team advisors at the Commerce, State and Treasury departments. It is the first installment of a series of recommendations focused on tech's role in advancing U.S. leadership. ITI will release forthcoming recommendations in 2021 focused on U.S. competitiveness including federal tax, trade, and regulatory policy, as well as climate change.

Read ITI’s Policy Memo for the Biden-Harris Transition: How Digital Technology Can Empower the American Economic Recovery here.

Related [Artificial Intelligence, Broadband, Communications, & Spectrum, Trade & Investment, Cybersecurity, Coronavirus Response, National Security, Tax Policy, Workforce, Immigration, Data & Privacy, Public Sector, Environment & Sustainability]