Dozens of chief executives from America's leading innovation companies today urged quick action on the recommendations to come this week on the National Broadband Plan from the Federal Communications Commission.

In a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski organized by TechNet, Technology CEO Council and the Information Technology Industry Council, the executives wrote:

"Broadband is critical to America's long-term economic and social well-being. As you have said, a safe and secure broadband is the infrastructure that will ensure America's continued global leadership, keep the best jobs in the United States and tackle our most pressing national challenges. Yet, as your recent survey shows, almost 100 million Americans do not have broadband at home.

"It is critical that we have a smart, effective national blueprint to bring affordable broadband to every person and business in the United States. Our nation needs a plan that emphasizes private investment and clear targets for government action.

"The FCC should be commended for the extraordinary public process implemented to develop this plan. Your team has worked countless hours, solicited unprecedented volumes of feedback from all stakeholders, and determined that data, not ideology, should guide their analysis. This process has demonstrated that there are still significant policy obstacles that could stifle innovation and investment in the future. This national plan must provide a roadmap for overcoming these obstacles.

"To be a success, the plan must identify new spectrum for wireless broadband, so that the United States can lead the world in mobile innovation and technology. The Plan must revise outdated regulation to redirect subsidy programs to support affordable access to broadband in fair and efficient ways, revise intercarrier compensation rules to promote investment in broadband, and provide easier access to rights of way to promote deployment.

"These steps will stimulate world-leading networks and ensure every American has access to affordable broadband. This is critical: As society increasingly moves online, the costs of digital exclusion grow as well. Your team has noted that 70 percent of students use the Internet to do homework, putting those without access at a serious disadvantage. Job searching and training are now online activities, but many who need the most help with searching and training lack the digital skills to use these new tools.