FCC's December Agenda includes Free Web Plan Pushed by Martin

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin is pushing for action in December on a plan to offer free, pornography-free wireless Internet service to all Americans, despite objections from the wireless industry and some consumer groups. At its December meeting, the FCC could also consider new rules designed to speed up consideration of disputes between independent cable programmers and cable providers such as Time Warner Cable and Comcast, which either refuse to carry some channels or put them on specialty tiers of service that cost subscribers more. The agency also will ask for more feedback on its proposal to require programmers to sell their channels to cable operators individually instead of in bundles. The free Internet plan is the most controversial issue the agency will tackle in December. Chairman Martin shelved plans to consider a wider variety of sticky issues pending at the agency, including a request by the Hollywood studios to hobble TVs and set-top boxes so studios can offer copy-protected theatrical releases sooner.