FCC Seeks Comment on Broadband Adoption for National Broadband Plan

The Federal Communications Commission is seeking public comment on measuring broadband adoption, quantifying the individual costs to non-adopters, measuring the cost to society of having a large group of non-adopters, and identifying and remedying barriers to adoption. The FCC would also like data about existing adoption programs and studies, in order to contribute to and facilitate the Commission's development of the National Broadband Plan.

The FCC has tentatively concluded that the chief barriers to broadband adoption include: "Affordability of service, affordability of hardware, insufficient digital and technical literacy levels, unawareness of the personal relevance and utility of broadband technology and online content and an inability to use existing technology and applications due to physical or mental disabilities."

Comments are due December 2, 2009.