National Broadband Plan to bring high-speed access to all Americans... ideally

[Niels Bohr 72]

Hey, what do you know? All those meetings over the proposed National Broadband Plan has amounted to something: a "yeah, we should probably hit this up." Today, the FCC has kicked off an immensely ambitious project to bring "high-speed internet access to every corner of the United States." $7.2 billion of the economic stimulus package has already been allocated for the task, but it'll be ages before anything becomes of this. For starters, the FCC is asking for input from consumers, businesses, etc, yet it doesn't require a response until February of 2010. Meanwhile, nations like South Korea, Japan and Australia are all looking to implement similar rollouts, albeit with much higher speeds. You see, the FCC currently defines "broadband" as 786Kpbs, which obviously isn't anywhere near median rates in some of the aforementioned countries. Pardon our skepticism in this becoming a reality, but at least we'll be extra elated if our rock-bottom expectations are met.

[The_Dude 1,142]

So everyone in America will be subjected to far left and right political drivel equally!!

On the plus side.... more and faster porn for all!!!!1

[Dan J 277]

Hey, what do you know? All those meetings over the proposed National Broadband Plan has amounted to something: a "yeah, we should probably hit this up." Today, the FCC has kicked off an immensely ambitious project to bring "high-speed internet access to every corner of the United States." $7.2 billion of the economic stimulus package has already been allocated for the task, but it'll be ages before anything becomes of this. For starters, the FCC is asking for input from consumers, businesses, etc, yet it doesn't require a response until February of 2010. Meanwhile, nations like South Korea, Japan and Australia are all looking to implement similar rollouts, albeit with much higher speeds. You see, the FCC currently defines "broadband" as 786Kpbs, which obviously isn't anywhere near median rates in some of the aforementioned countries. Pardon our skepticism in this becoming a reality, but at least we'll be extra elated if our rock-bottom expectations are met.

As much as I would like to see it happen, i doubt it ever will. Private companies have spent a lot of money developing their own infrastructures and have quite deep pockets in fighting any national broadband plan.

Right now, there is generally little competition from broadband providers, you are limited to whoever provides a pipe to your house. And often you are lucky to actually have a choice between more than one provider.

If the government provided a broadband infrastructure in sort of a minimal monopoly, but left it up to private companies to provide service to consumers, we would have much more choice when it comes to broadband as the cost to enter the market would be MUCH lower for providers.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

For starters, the FCC is asking for input from consumers, businesses, etc, yet it doesn't require a response until February of 2010.