FCC Sends Broadband Plan to Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has sent its National Broadband Plan—which its chairman, Julius Genachowski, referred to as a "21st century roadmap to spur economic growth and investment, create jobs, educate our children, protect our citizens, and engage in our democracy"—to Congress.

“It’s an action plan," Genachowski said, "and action is necessary to meet the challenges of global competitiveness, and harness the power of broadband to help address so many vital national issues.”

The report notes that close to 100 million Americans lack broadband at home today, and 14 million do not have any access to broadband. The FCC notes: "the cost of digital exclusion for the student unable to access the Internet to complete a homework assignment, or for the unemployed worker who can’t search for a job online, continues to grow."

Moreover, a looming shortage of wireless spectrum could hinder innovation in the wireless broadband services market. "More useful applications, devices, and content are needed to create value for consumers," the FCC said. "And the nation has failed to harness broadband’s power to transform delivery of government services, health care, education, public safety, energy conservation, economic development, and other national priorities."

The report calls for connecting 100 million households to affordable 100-megabits-per-second broadband service; ensuring affordable broadband access in every American community; and making 500 megahertz of spectrum newly available for licensed and unlicensed use. In addition, the National Broadband Plan seeks to promote competition across the broadband ecosystem by ensuring greater transparency, removing barriers to entry, and conducting market-based analysis with quality data on price, speed, and availability.

“In every era, America must confront the challenge of connecting the nation anew,” said Blair Levin, executive director of the Omnibus Broadband Initiative at the FCC. “Above all else, the plan is a call to action to meet that challenge for our era. If we meet it, we will have networks, devices, and applications that create new solutions to seemingly intractable problems.”