FCC's Genachowski To Challenge Cable To Close Broadband Gap

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski is creating a Broadband Adoption Task Force, which he will announce at the National Cable & Telecommunications Association Cable Show in Chicago June 15.

Chairman Genachowski, who is slated for a keynote interview at the opening general session by NCTA President Michael Powell, plans to call on cable operators to "build on their excellent work" in broadband deployment and adoption by finishing the job. "As an industry, you've connected two-thirds of Americans to broadband - and I applaud you for that. Now, let's work together to connect the last third - nearly 100 million people - so all Americans can participate fully in our 21st century economy and society," he plans to say, according to highlights of his speech supplied by the chairman's office. According to Chairman Genachowski, the economic cost to the country of those 100 million nonadopters is $55 billion a year, while closing the gap could create "millions" of jobs. The task force will be headed by Genachowski senior counselor Josh Gottheimer. According to Genachowski, Gottheimer will work with agency and private and public sectors reps to brainstorm strategies for closing the adoption gap.