Putting the FCC National Broadband Plan into Action

Publishing the National Broadband Plan is just the beginning.

As much resistance as the FCC has experienced just trying to draft a plan, it seems that political opponents--and the lobbyists, and big business interests that back them--have treated the plan itself as the target. However, the FCC plan is not a government directive; it's a blueprint that is still a work in progress. To its credit, the FCC has provided equal opportunity for dialog and debate for both public and private interests throughout the process of developing the plan. What now? Now the real work begins. The FCC is planning a series of 40 or so proceedings over the next few months to engage in more detailed discussion of the "how" to go with the "what".

The authority of the FCC to pursue its ambitious initiatives has been called into question, and the FCC will need to work closely with private sector interests to bring the proposals in the plan to life.