Right now, the government is deciding the future of the Internet in the United States.

The Federal Communications Commission is crafting our national broadband strategy, which will determine how fast the Internet is and who has access to high speed connections.

You can help shape this policy in just two minutes. To help the FCC develop this new strategy, we will compile the data from the speed tests of hundreds of thousands of activists like you and report on the results, breaking them down by state, county and ZIP code.

By re-taking our Speed Test, you're helping us update our data set and helping make universal broadband a reality. Take the Speed Test now:

http://www.speedmatters.org/speedtest2009

As you probably know, the United States ranks just 15th among industrialized nations in broadband access -- and this is costing our economy billions of dollars every year.

Every day, American businesses are missing out on opportunities to sell their goods and services in the global marketplace. Every day, the American people are missing out on important health and educational benefits. And every day, the American economy is missing out on good jobs created by broadband.

That's because the U.S. has historically invested relatively less on telecommunications than most other major countries. Consumers are charged more for slower speeds, and our current high-speed networks don't even reach millions of American households.

The FCC is working to fix this right now, and your data will help them develop the best possible policy. Test your Internet speed, and be part of the effort to bring the benefits of affordable high speed Internet access to every American:

http://www.speedmatters.org/speedtest2009

There's been a digital divide in the United States for many years. It's cost millions of Americans the full benefits of the digital age and kept our economy from reaching its full potential.

Now we're so close to closing the divide. I hope you'll support this effort.

Sincerely,

Beth Allen
Speedmatters.org
Online Mobilization Coordinator