Will the FCC get tough or play nice with broadband providers?

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski and Blair Levin, executive director of the FCC Broadband Initiative, have performed a Dance of the Seven Veils over the last several months, disclosing tantalizing tidbits about the problems they perceive and potential ways to address them.

Don't be surprised to hear about efforts to empower consumers --- for example, making it easy to access and control medical records, to connect to broadband at schools and libraries, and use the Web to learn about government information and services. But the media and tech worlds want to know: Will the FCC propose other bold changes that might antagonize large companies, including broadband giants Comcast and Verizon, or will it try to accommodate them with relatively moderate reforms? Some public interest groups have urged the FCC to get tough, for example, by including provisions that would promote net neutrality, fight Internet hate speech and encourage competition.