[IP] re Levin hints at Broadband Plan

What made my jaw drop in Levin's remarks were that, while summarily ruling out structural/functional separation, he happily foresaw a future for most US citizens where the choice was between 50mpbs wireline as an offering of cable companies via DOCSIS3, and wireless 5mpbs via the phone companies. In his opinion it is quite possible that many will decide that 5mpbs is quite satisfactory.

Echoes of 640k enough for anybody?

In fact wireline just does not seem to be a big concern, seen more as a lifeline. I note his 2006 remarks to the Judiciary Committee:
"Given where we are, it is likely that the only way to drive more, bigger, cheaper, and ubiquitous broadband is through new, probably wireless, broadband facilities."
http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/testimony.cfm?id=1937&wit_id=5421

It appears little has occurred at the FCC to change his mind.

joly

On Fri, Dec 25, 2009 at 12:53 AM, David Farber <dave@farber.net> wrote:

Begin forwarded message:

From: Richard Bennett <richard@bennett.com>

Date: December 24, 2009 9:15:21 PM EST

To: Dave Farber <dave@farber.net>

Subject: Levin hints at Broadband Plan
For IP, if you wish.

Blair Levin pre-announces some details of the National Broadband Plan on The Communicators this weekend. Amy Schatz of the WSJ did some of the questioning, and reports:
Providing universal broadband access at 3 mbps would cost about $20 billion, the FCC estimates. The price tag for 50 mbps service across the U.S. would cost more than $50 billion.
Much of that investment would have to come from the private sector, Mr. Levin says, although the agency is considering changes to a $7 billion annual federal phone subsidy program to fund new Internet lines in rural areas.
Mr. Levin also dismissed criticisms last week from public interest groups unhappy the plan may not propose some ideas for encouraging competition, such as rules that would require Internet providers to share their lines with competitors.
“I find their criticism not very productive,” Mr. Levin said Monday.
FCC officials have been considering the ideas, some of which were laid out in a FCC-commissioned report by Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society.
The WSJ piece is at:

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/12/21/fcc-eyes-average-internet-speeds-for-rural-areas/

and you can see the video at C-Span's web site:

http://www.c-span.org/Watch/Media/2009/12/21/HP/R/27505/FCC+Gives+Status+on+Natl+Broadband+Plan.aspx

RB
-- 
Richard Bennett
Research Fellow
Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
Washington, DC
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