"The Federal Communications Commission, or the FCC, begins work today on a yearlong national broadband strategy to bring high-speed broadband internet into every American home. Under the $7.2 billion broadband stimulus plan, the FCC is responsible for developing a strategy to improve broadband coverage and present it to Congress in February of 2010." Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!
Free Press Welcomes National Broadband Plan Launch
"We applaud the FCC for finally taking time and energy to craft a comprehensive broadband strategy -- something that should have been done years ago. This plan, if done right, could serve as the foundation for telecommunications policymaking in the 21st century."
FCC Opens Debate on Broadband Policy
"The commission approved a broad set of questions designed to solicit opinions from consumers, telecom companies and state and local governments, to name a few. Everyone has something to lose or gain in the process, and the public comment docket will be lengthy with disparate opinions. The FCC must present its broadband plan to Congress by February of next year."
Wired Less: Disconnected in Urban America
"For many Americans living in urban areas, high-speed Internet access remains elusive. Much of the discussion about broadband expansion in the United States focuses on the rural areas that still lack this essential infrastructure. As we documented in our earlier report, Five Days on the Digital Dirt Road, residents in rural areas are struggling to live and work without high-speed Internet. But this snapshot only shows a part of the picture of the digital divide in America. Even in some of our most tech-savvy wired cities, millions of people – particularly low-income households, immigrant populations and senior citizens – do not have high-speed Internet in their homes or businesses."
