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On Tuesday, March 16, the Federal Communications Commission sent “Connecting America: The National Broadband Plan” report to Congress. The report cites the need to provide affordable and reliable internet broadband internet access to all parts of the country, offering service in even the most rural communities.
Without such offerings, the report states, America is at risk of falling behind in the competitive world of wireless mobile broadband services. Additionally, “… the nation has failed to harness broadband’s power to transform delivery of government services, health care, education, public safety, energy conservation, economic development, and other national priorities.”
Defining broadband as 100-megabits-per-second, the plan offers a call to action for the next decade. Some of the recommendations outlined in the report are to:
- Provide every first responder “with access to a nationwide, wireless, interoperable public safety network.”
- Connect 100 million households to broadband internet access.
- Offer access to 1-gigabite-per-second connections at community anchor institutions, including military installations, schools, and hospitals.
- Ensure that every child is digitally literate at the time of high school graduation.
- Guarantee affordable broadband connections in rural communities and vulnerable populations by transitioning from analog technologies to digital infrastructure.
According to the plan’s Executive Summary, there are four primary things that the government can do to further the expansion of broadband internet availability. Those are through:
- Establishing competition policies.
- Ensuring efficient allocation and use of government-owned and government-influenced assets.
- Creating incentives for universal availability and adoption of broadband.
- Updating policies, setting standards, and aligning incentives to maximize use for national priorities.
“The National Broadband Plan is a 21st century roadmap to spur economic growth and investment, create jobs, educate our children, protect our citizens, and engage our democracy,” according to Julius Genachowski, Chairman. He continues, “It’s an action plan, and action is necessary to meet the challenges of global competitiveness, and harness the power of broadband to help address so many vital national issues.”
Once the plan is adopted, consumers can expect to see a significant increase in high speed internet availability, through connectivity options like wireless or mobile internet, DSL, cable, satellite, and fiber-optic connections. These connections will be more widely available and affordable, in even the most rural and isolated parts of the nation.