Broadband Opportunity Council Seeks Comment on Ways to Further Expand and Promote Broadband Deployment, Adoption and Competition

President Barack Obama's interagency Broadband Opportunity Council (BOC) announced it is seeking public comment on how federal agencies can promote broadband deployment, adoption and competition. In a request for comment (RFC), the Departments of Agriculture and Commerce -- which are co-chairing the BOC -- are asking the public for input in helping to identify regulations and other barriers that are hampering deployment of broadband. The RFC also is seeking recommendations on ways to promote public and private investment in broadband and get a better understanding of the challenges facing areas that lack access to broadband. The Council, which is made up of 25 federal agencies, was established by a March 23 Presidential Memorandum to develop a framework of recommendations to explore ways to remove unnecessary regulatory and policy barriers, incentivize investment, and align funding polices and decisions to support broadband access and adoption. Specifically, the RFC seeks comment on such questions as:

How can the federal government best promote coordination and use of federally-funded broadband assets?
What regulatory barriers exist within the agencies of the Executive Branch to the deployment of broadband infrastructure?
Are there specific regulations within the agencies of the Executive Branch that impede or restrict competition for broadband service?
How can communities and regions incentivize service providers to offer broadband services, either wired or wireless, in rural and remote areas?
What can the federal government do to make it easier for state, local, and tribal governments or organizations to access funding for broadband?

The deadline for submitting comments is June 10, 2015.