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F.C.C. Says Adoption of New Broadband Plan Is Vital

The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday characterized its
Congressionally mandated �national broadband plan� as a much-needed step
for keeping the United States competitive.

The proposal, which the agency sent to Congress on Tuesday, �is
necessary to meet the challenges of global competitiveness, and harness
the power of broadband to help address so many vital national issues,�
the agency chairman, Julius Genachowski, said in a statement.

The 376-page plan reflects the view that broadband Internet is becoming
the common medium of the United States, gradually displacing the
telephone and broadcast television. But many of the recommendations will
require Congressional action, and may take years to put in place.

Some proposals will probably face resistance from the telecommunication
giants, which over time may face new competition for customers. Already,
the broadcast television industry is resisting a proposal to auction off
some of its spectrum so that it can be redirected toward mobile Internet
technologies.

The plan broadly seeks a 90 percent broadband adoption rate in the
United States by 2020, up from roughly 65 percent. The reasons for being
unwired vary: some cannot access it at their homes, some cannot afford
it and some choose not to have it.

Recommendations include subsidies to extend broadband to rural areas now
without access, the development of a new universal set-top box that
would connect to the Internet and cable service and the formation of a
�digital literacy corps� to provide skills training.

The plan also includes a faster-Internet initiative that theoretically
would equip 100 million households with 100-megabit-a-second access by
the end of this decade. According to comScore, the average subscriber
now receives speeds of three to four megabits a second.

MORE: <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/17/technology/17broadband.html>

The Proposal: <http://www.broadband.gov/>