Most of the political talk lately has centered on the Obama administration’s attempt to provide universal healthcare. However, if the new proposals being floated by the FCC are any indication, it seems that a focus of the Obama administration will also be universal broadband. The Wall Street Journal has an article explaining this at Feds Mull Rules, Fees to Spur Net Access. According to the article, the FCC is considering whether the government should take greater control over expanding the accessibility to broadband coverage, and is looking at three different options to pay for the $20-350 billion (that’s right…billion) of costs that the FCC estimates it will take to accomplish this goal:
1. Increase the $7 billion federal phone-subsidy fund (the Universal Service Fund) which comes from charges added to consumer phone bills….which, of course, is a fancy way of saying a “tax”.
2. Revival of open access rules requiring Internet providers to lease their networks to others at rates regulated by the government…which, of course, is being opposed by large phone and cable companies.
3. Reclamation of airwaves from TV station owners in order to auction them off to wireless companies who could provide high-speed wireless broadband….which, of course, broadcasters and station owners aren’t too happy about.
According to the WSJ article, although no options have been recommended to, or approved by, the FCC Board, FCC officials plan on presenting possible solutions in December 2009 with formal recommendations in February 2010 in conjunction with its release of the National Broadband Plan. Earlier this year, Congress had asked for such a plan from the FCC about improving broadband speed and access.
The News Hub Digital Desk discusses these FCC plans in this video:
This probably is good news for e-commerce, media and other types of internet-centric businesses, as such will expand the marketplace of consumers with access to their products/services.
In any event, as the WSJ article points out, these ideas of the FCC under the Obama adminstration are a reversal from the FCC policies under the Bush administration, when government control of Internet and telephone service was curtailed.
Something to keep an eye on.
-Gregg J. Lallier
[...] Broadband (Continued) 23 12 2009 As a follow-up to the ConnTIP post from last month (Universal Broadband on the Horizon?) about the upcoming FCC plan to bring universal broadband to the U.S., the WSJ is reporting that [...]