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Research: Broadband Expectations
The Free State Foundation
Annual Winter Telecom Policy Conference
Panel: The FCC’s Broadband Plan: The Good, The Bad, and the Just So-So?
January 29, 2010
Moderator Deborah Taylor Tate, an adjunct senior fellow at the foundation and a former FCC commissioner, joined several panelists to discuss the upcoming FCC broadband plan, which is due to be released March 17. The panel included:
Stuart Benjamin and Paul de Sa of the FCC;
Jeffrey Campbell, the senior director of technology and trade policy for Cisco Systems; “The thing about the National Broadband Plan that is really important for us to remember, and I think the Commission clearly is thinking this way as they’re going about doing this, is that the reality is that we live in a market-based world where most of the decisions in the broadband world — both in the regulated and unregulated spaces — are driven largely by market forces and outside influences.”
Steven Davis, Qwest’s senior vice president of public policy; “And I think the broadband plan must be structured so as to be dedicated toward spurring investment and growth and, in the words of Commissioner McDowell, at least doing no harm. And I think it’s important that some prompt steps be taken to actually implement reform; not just talk about it. And the danger of the broadband plan, creating greater regulatory risk, and therefore negatively impacting investments and growth, I think is real.”
Steve Largent, the president and CEO of the wireless association CTIA; “It generally takes about 10 years to identify spectrum for commercial purposes, auction it, relocate the incumbents and then roll out new services and we can’t afford to wait that long. To meet the growing demand and keep the U.S. competitive with international markets, CTIA has proposed an additional 800 megahertz of spectrum be allocated to commercial wireless broadband.”
And Joseph Waz, Jr., Comcast’s senior vice president of external affairs and public policy counsel; “So I’m looking at the broadband plan also from a consumer point of view. I’m really hoping the plan we see, to use a sort of a musical metaphor, would be more minimalist than baroque. I really hope that it will be focused and wise. Many are encouraging the agency to be bold. I have seen 16-year-olds standing at the top of cliffs being dared to jump into a swimming hole 50 feet below who can be bold. I’d rather we be bold and wise; not bold and foolish, and so I’m very much hoping the plan will be bold and wise.”
The panel discussion revolved around expectations for the broadband plan — what is good, what is bad and how it might affect the telcom landscape.
You can find the complete transcript here.
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