The National Broadband Plan: Unanswered Questions and Next Steps

While the National Broadband Plan takes several critical first steps toward solving the nation's broadband deficiencies, the Federal Communications Commission must act decisively and quickly in several key areas in order to reach its goals.

The FCC should take immediate action on:
1) Competition: The Commission must investigate all policy options that would infuse meaningful competition in the broadband marketplace in areas where there are abuses of market power.

2) Universal Service Reform: The system needs substantial reforms in order to rid it of inefficiencies.

3) Adoption rates: The subsidies proposed in the Plan are a good first step. And Free Press and New America support using Lifeline and Link-Up for broadband. But these scarce resources must not be used to pad exorbitant ISP profit margins.

4) Spectrum: Now is the time to better use unlicensed spectrum as well as white spaces.

5) Transparency: The National Broadband Plan has creative ideas for promoting transparency. The nutrition label would provide consumers with simple, clear data. Free Press and New America encourage the disclosure of monitoring, blocking and delaying of content.

6) Data: The Plan's recommendations that the FCC collect census block availability and pricing data are long overdue steps that the Commission should move to immediately implement. Solid data is vital to the Plan's successful implementation.

7) Jurisdiction: The authors urge the FCC to clarify its jurisdiction over broadband networks without delay. Congress plainly intended that the FCC have the authority to promote competition and protect consumers in this area. Decisive action will mean faster implementation of the needed elements of the National Broadband Plan.