High-speed Internet access — aka broadband — has transformed communications, inspired new technologies, engaged millions of people in civic affairs and fueled economic development.

With its power to unlock innovation and foster free speech, broadband is no longer a luxury. It’s a necessity that Americans can’t afford to live without. But as the need for broadband increases, so too does the digital divide between those with access to this transformative technology and those without.

InternetforEveryone.org is a first-of-its-kind national initiative of hundreds of public interest, civic and industry groups working to close the digital divide and ensure that the Internet continues to drive U.S. economic growth and prosperity.

InternetforEveryone.org will host a series of national discussions and provide the public with the opportunity to inform future broadband policies. Through unique town hall meetings, InternetforEveryone.org will provide a forum for articulating the broadband needs of the nation. The first town hall meeting will be in Los Angeles on Dec. 6.

It’s time to organize in support of public policy that ensures access, openness, choice and innovation — policy that directly addresses the needs and desires of the American public and works to close the digital divide.

The initiative has already brought together diverse civic institutions, public interest groups and technology innovators with a common stake in America’s Internet future. Key partners include the ACLU, CEOs for Cities, Children Now, Consumer Electronics Association, DemocracyinAction.org, Google, the National Organization for Women, Skype, TechRepublican, the United Church of Christ and the Writers Guild of America.