What Does The FCC's "100 Squared" Initiative Really Mean?

[Commentary] Recently, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski unveiled his "100 Squared" initiative, which sets the goal of America having 100 million households connected to 100Mbps by 2020. But what does that goal really mean?

Is that 100Mbps symmetrical, with as much capacity to upload as download? Is that 100Mbps advertised or do providers need to be able to actually deliver it? Is that a 100Mbps monopoly or a market where consumers have choice? The answers to these questions define the scope of this initiative's ambitions. They also frame the need for and appropriate structure of any government intervention to help move the market forward.