stimulus plans are in fact dwarfed by the hundreds of billions of dollars that the existing broadband industry has already invested in broadband networks and services, amounting to far more than announced in any stimulus plan to date. On this basis, the US National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) has emphasized that stimulus funds should be deployed in a manner that will not harm the exist-ing curtailing investment plans and cherry-picking prof-itable areas, with adverse consequences for universal service objectives. Stimulus plans will obviously play a major role in re-vitalizing the ICT industry, given the size and scope of the investments announced. However, it is impor-tant to note that despite their scale and the publicity broadband industry.36 surrounding them, the amounts announced in the Not All Broadband is Created Equal Figure 4 Interactive Signboards Tele-Medecine Tele-Learning Interactivity level Multilocation Collaboration Virtual Sports Utility Computing Grids Social Networking Virtual laboratories Rich Media Next-Generation TV E-mail Video Conferencing Browsing 64-256 Kbps 512 Kbps-2Mbps 20 Mbps-1 Gbps Effective Bandwidth first-Generation Access Type Narrowband Broadband Next-Generation Broadband Typical Technology PSTN 2G DSL, 3G FTTx, LTE Typical Capital $20-$50 $100-$150 $300-$2,500 Expenditure/Subsidy per subscriber Source: Booz & Company (2009). (in US$) Confronting the Crisis: ICT Stimulus Plans for Economic Growth 37