FCC broadband plan expected today
Starting today, get ready to hear a lot (more) about access to high-speed broadband, whom should control the broadcast airwaves, and the role of the federal government in regulating both.
The Federal Communications Commission is scheduled to send its long-awaited National Broadband Plan to Congress, a move that will further propel issues mostly discussed among the telecom industry, advocates, and regulators into the political arena.
[Update: Watch live streaming of the FCC's presentation of the National Broadband Plan to Congress through 12:30 pm EST. Read the entire plan for yourself here.]
In the executive summary [PDF] on today's report, the FCC reaffirmed that universal access to broadband will be the plan's top priority. Plan goals include that "every American should have access to robust broadband service," and that 100 million residents should have access to speedy service of at least 100 and 50 megabits per second for download and upload, respectively.
The summary also outlines plans for further subsidies to wire rural areas for broadband and the New York Times reports the plan will include "a controversial auction of some broadcast spectrum to free up space for wireless devices, and the development of a new universal set-top box that connects to the Internet and cable service."
The plan is likely to trigger furious debate, including lobbying from industry representatives and responses from consumer advocates, including Consumers Union, the parent company for Consumer Reports.
—Paul Reynolds