'Internet for Everyone' launches today here in New York City to try to close what has become a gaping, yawning, "Grand Canyon' of a digital divide. FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein says it's a disgrace that the country that founded the Internet is falling so far behind the rest of the world when it comes to access to broadband. "I'm a frustrated policy maker: What we are doing in Washington is not working," Adelstein told the Personal Democracy Forum. "We have a shortsighted policy that has ensured the U.S. is way behind...in access, openness and speed."

Some 10 million Americans - mostly in rural areas - have no access to broadband. Half of all Americans do not subscribe to high-speed Internet. The U.S. has fallen from 4th to 15th place in broadband. And yet, there is no national policy. And the leading lights of the Internet - from Google to online democracy activists, from venture capitalists to professors - say resolving this issue should be a major national priority.

Josh Silver is executive editor of Free Press. He called the "Internet for Everyone" an unprecedented initiative to raise awareness about the digital divide, and why all Americans must have access to a vast open and affordable internet." It is organized around four core principles: access to a highspeed world class infrastructure, choice and real competition, openness with gatekeepers or discrimination, and innovation to spawn new ideas, entrepreneurs, and jobs. It can be an engine for economic growth.

What gets lost in the debate is the truly high costs Americans pay to communicate. It is on par with oil costs, says Tim Wu, a Columbia law professor. "It is incredible how much we pay for bandwidth and how little we get. We spend $100 billion for cellphone bandwidth alone; if you add that to what we also spend on internet access and cable, it is about the same as we spend on energy. And like oil, production is controlled by a tiny cartel that sets prices high and keeps them there."

The "broadband crisis" is also standing in the way of solving the "energy crisis", according to Robin Chase, CEO Meadow Networks and co founder Zipcar. She says low cost internet access is ubiquitous to low carbon environment, and says the future of transportation will depend on everyone being connected. 

Perhaps this is an area where bipartisan agreement can be reached. David All is the co-founder of TechRepublican.com and Slatecard.com, and he worries that lack of broadband access in rural areas that tend to vote GOP will harm his party's chances. "We are losing elections by 1-2% and that concerns me; I want to win again," says All. "I am 29, an entrepreneur, so I'll speak for millenials: 70% of high school students want to be entrepreneurs; they want to start the next Facebook not a barber shop, they are inner city kids, suburban kids, rural kids, but they have less and less of a chance as the rest of the world moves past us."

What everyone agrees is that markets and private enterprise won't solve this challenge alone: Adelstein says the government must take the lead. "We hear loud and clear from cable and TV companies, but our job is to serve the public interest." Larry Lessig, the Stanford Law Professor and Internet author, says it is just about one word: "Infrastructure". And think back to the 50s - we wouldn't have Interstate highways if President Eisenhower hadn't lead the way despite significant monied opposition. "Government has a responsibility to ensure the U.S. is not embarrassed in the world and that it can compete in a global economy," says Lessig.

So what are the policy recommendations? That is up to you! Seriously. Ask lawmakers questions about what they are doing to resolve the digital divide. We'll demand answers - and hopefully that can lead to the policy leadership necessary to close the divide.