NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] re Levin hints at Broadband Plan
----- Forwarded message from Dave Farber <dave@farber.net> ----- Date: Fri, 25 Dec 2009 15:50:48 -0500 From: Dave Farber <dave@farber.net> Subject: [IP] re Levin hints at Broadband Plan Reply-To: dave@farber.net To: ip <ip@v2.listbox.com> Begin forwarded message: > From: Joly MacFie <joly@punkcast.com> > Date: December 25, 2009 4:15:20 AM EST > To: dave@farber.net > Cc: richard@bennett.com > Subject: Re: [IP] 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 > > Archives > > > > -- > --------------------------------------------------------------- > Joly MacFie 917 442 8665 Skype:punkcast > WWWhatsup NYC - http://wwwhatsup.com > http://pinstand.com - http://punkcast.com > --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/ Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com ----- End forwarded message -----