In this report, ITIF outlines the more than $100 billion invested by G-20 countries in IT-related stimulus. While most G-20 countries have passed economic stimulus packages to confront the global economic downturn, more could be done to use IT investments to aid in economic recovery, create jobs, and lay the groundwork for long-term economic benefits.

In this report, researchers from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) assess the employment impact in the United Kingdom of investments in three ICT infrastructures: broadband networks, intelligent transportation systems, and the smart power grid, that: (1) contribute to significant immediate direct and indirect job growth in the UK economy; (2) create a “network effect” throughout the economy that creates additional jobs; and (3) provide a foundation for longer term benefits, including government cost savings, economy-wide productivity, and improved quality of life for all.

To listen to the debates over IT policy in the U.S. these days, it would be easy for a casual observer to believe that the U.S. has only one policy goal for the digital economy: spurring broadband deployment and adoption.

Webcasters have faced inequity in the copyright royalty system for years. Two years ago ITIF suggested that the entire idea behind the statutory license was fundamentally flawed. Is it right to assign every piece of music the same value? While this type of one-size-fits-all agreement might have made sense in a pre-Internet era, it is an anachronism in today’s digital world.

In this WebMemo, ITIF Senior Analyst Daniel Castro argues that Congress should promote technology neutral policies that do not unfairly advantage or disadvantage any particular technology or business model. Moreover, Congress should ensure that the rules and regulations governing the royalty rate setting process are fair and reasonable for all broadcast platforms. As Congress considers “The Performance Rights Act,” a bill to eliminate the exemption on performance royalties that terrestrial radio has enjoyed for years, it should keep these principles in mind.

Innovators continue to find new ways to use information technology (IT) to make our lives better. Looking forward, IT will continue to be a critical component of solutions to many social challenges. But policymakers must create the right environment for technological progress. This article in the March/April 2009 edition of IEEE Internet Computing offers 10 guiding principals for creating technology policy that spurs and sustains digital progress.