The FCC Releases the National Broadband Plan

March 22, 2010 written by John Watson

Last week, the Federal Communications Commission came out with its long-awaited National Broadband Plan.  The plan was the result of a mandate from Congress to the FCC to provide a road-map for connecting every American online via broadband.  The plan totals more than 300 pages, but the FCC offers a great summary of the plan here.

It is heartening that the government recognizes broadband and its benefits to be such an essential component of life that it is embarking on the goal of connecting all Americans.  Of the four broad objectives the plan lays out, it is impressive to see the goal of “updating policies, setting standards and aligning incentives to maximize use for national priorities”.  What that translates into is that the FCC recognizes the benefits to education, economic growth, health care and other daily tasks that broadband can provide, and is focused on making sure those benefits are achievable for all Americans.  Importantly, related to this goal, the plan includes “recommendations designed to unleash increased use, private sector investment and innovation in these areas”.  It is encouraging to see that the government also recognizes the vital role of private investment and policies necessary to encourage further build-out of broadband and digital technologies.

You can view the plan in full here.  Or to read the FCC’s announcement of the plan, please click here.