This white paper proposes bringing the federal government, state governments, and the private sector together as part of a new approach to making high-speed Internet services available across the country. It proposes the creation of a new federal Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) that, together with matching funds from the states and the private and/or public sector, should be used to build open, big broadband networks of at least 100 Mbps (scalable upwards to 1 Gbps) to every home and business by 2012. U.S. state governors and foreign heads of state have found the resources to subsidize broadband deployment; the U.S. federal government should as well. The report also contains a detailed analysis of broadband deployment in the United States and in key countries around the world. Policymakers are urged to adopt this plan as soon as possible to restore our nation's leadership position in high-technology and to prepare for the 21st century. (Contains 161 footnotes.)