Now at TechNet, Ramsey maintains focus on broadband, innovation

By Kim Hart - 01/26/10 09:30 AM ET

It's Rey Ramsey's fourth week on the job as the new chief executive of TechNet, an industry coalition with 120 members that range from venture capital firms to the biggest tech companies in the world.

He says he's still finding his footing in his new role, but he's already jetting off to tech-centric regions--this week, Portland; next week, San Francisco--to meet with CEOs about TechNet's agenda under his leadership.

"It's important to foster innovation in all areas of the country," he said in an interview. "I'm not suddenly going to be the D.C. guy with tunnel vision."

Ramsey is best known for co-founding One Economy in 2000 with three others in a basement. The organization now has more than 80 employees in four countries and aims to spread the benefits of technology to low-income and disadvantaged regions of the world. Ramsey still remains chairman of the non-profit, which is currently searching for a new CEO.

His roots in broadband expansion have colored his early priorities for TechNet. He said so much of the path toward universal broadband hinges on the FCC's National Broadband Plan, which is due to Congress mid-March.

"The key questions are, how comprehensive is it and is it implementable?" he said. "I believe government has to play a role here. The stakes are just too high not to..."

"Look at the phone system. It was subsidized by the government because we as a nation thought it was that important at one point," he said. "Look at our roads--also subsidized. This is the same. It's part of our infrastructure."

Ramsey says he's in the process of putting TechNet's goals in writing, but education, workforce issues, cybersecurity, patent reform, broadband and clean tech are going to be the high-level priorities.

"You're going to see a tight list of actionable goals from us," he said. "We'll partner with other groups on issues we won't take a deep dive into."

At a time when controversial debates are pitting some technology companies against each other, Ramsey said he will focus on finding some sort of agreement.

"We don't want to knife-fight each other," he said. "Instead of us all shouting at Congress, sometimes we can find common ground--there ought to be more of that in Washington."

TechNet has offices in Sacramento, Austin, Seattle and New England. The organization languished last year when former CEO Lezlee Westine left in April. Now Ramsey has to ramp things up quickly.

He says he intends to involve NGOs, non-profits and companies from other sectors in campaigns on Capitol Hill.

Ramsey says he's not the "traditional" pick for the job. He's never worked directly in politics--although he was offered a political appointment in the Obama administration. But he said he truly believes the tech industry is "inexorably linked to the health of this country."

"Broadband is our oxygen and innovation is our currency," he said.