RSSFCC begins its drive toward a National Broadband Plan
By Tim Conneally | Published August 6, 2009, 10:11 AM
Today, the Federal Communications Commission is holding the first of more than 20 public workshops focusing on the state of broadband access in the US, which will lead up to the creation of the National Broadband Plan in February 2010.
"From this point forward, there really is no letting up," newly minted FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said yesterday. "This will be a deeply fact-based and data-driven process. We're bringing experts in-house and reaching out to external academic partners. This will be a seriously open and participatory process. Workshops will be streamed online and allow for external participation."
Today's workshop will look at the way broadband can improve effectiveness and efficiency in all levels of government and the potential benefits to the nonprofit sector. The commission must deliver the National Broadband Plan to Congress by February 17, providing a roadmap for giving Americans equal access to high-speed Internet.
"Doing new things -- experimenting to benefit the public -- means there will be mistakes," Genachowski said. "That's fine. I expect them. They are inevitable. Don't sweat it. We will make mistakes, we will learn from them, and we will move forward. I am sure we will also get many things right. We will identify them, honor them, learn from what we do right and replicate it."
jesus christ shut up about "boo-hoo big business getting richer waaaaaaa". QQ more plz. you're just complaining about capitalism, and im getting fking tired of it. without "big business" would we have download speeds of 10, 15, 20, even 50mbps for ~$100 or less in DOZENS of markets? No. if it wasnt for "big companies" would we have upload speeds 10x faster than most download speeds of 10 years ago? No.
The UK is 1/40th the size of the US. Do you know how difficult it is to wire 3.7 million square miles of territory? NO THANKS
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|Right and when it's all said and done the broadbrand providers will have bought those in charge as they always do and have things their way. So basically nothing will change except for a few sound good but really do nothing policies.
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|It's true , too true. The big companies will get richer, just like the money they were given the last time to provide broadband to rural areas. Nothing will improve. And all the companies, (including the one i work for) will get the shaft. We are the people who bring broadband to the under-served, the people who are passed over by the telco's and the cable companies. And a huge weapon in our arsenal that we could have used to push further into the rural recesses, the 700mhz spectrum was sold to billionaires which only care more about lining their pockets than providing a service to rural america.
It's just like all politics, the idea is great..."Bring broadband to Everyone"...But then human nature, and greed take over, then it becomes like any other project. Just a lot of hot air, wishes and empty promises. If the government wants to do it right? Here's my idea! Build the infrastructure, and the providers will bring the net, bring fiber to more rural area's at decent cost. Build towers for wireless providers use.
You wonder why rural adoption of internet is slow???? Because it costs over 8000+/mo to bring a DS3 @ 45mbit to a rural area, that drives up the cost of the internet for everyone. On top of that you add on the available frequencies that wireless providers can use, which are enormously overcrowded might i add. Which just means you have to spend even more on equipment, towers, access points, and general infrastructure. It all boils down to cost. And the chance of them learning to listen to people, and stop listening to companies......
Oh well it'll never happen...
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