The FCC's free Internet plan

Coverage Type: 

[Commentary] Free wireless Internet service is such a compelling idea, even waves of failure can't seem to kill it. The latest proposal comes from Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin, who wants to auction off a band of airwaves with a couple of potentially strangling strings attached: The winner must use part of the band to provide Internet access at no charge, and traffic on the free service must be filtered to block pornography. It hard to resist the chicken-in-every-pot appeal of the proposal. Depending on who won the auction, it could lead to more competition in broadband service. The construction requirements -- 95% of the country's population would have to be served within a decade -- could push broadband into underserved rural areas. And even if they were comparatively slow, the free connections could spur innovation in devices and Web services by providing ubiquitous, continuous Internet connectivity. After all, the "always on" nature of DSL and cable modem service is just as transformative as the increased speed. These potential benefits more than outweigh the cost of the plan, which is sure to produce lower bids than if the airwaves were auctioned without condition. The main drawback is the filtering requirement, which aims to protect minors but could affect all users of the free service. Automated filters invariably exclude legitimate content, and they don't pose much of a barrier to computer-savvy youths obtaining illicit content. A better approach would be to bar the winning bidder from blocking legal uses of its airwaves rather than imposing a duty that can't effectively be met.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-ed-fcc9-2008jun09,0,...
(requires registration)


The FCC's free Internet plan