National Broadband Plan Update

On Thursday, August 27, Blair Levin, the director of the Federal Communications Commission's efforts to devise a National Broadband Plan, briefed FCC commissioners and the public on the progress already made and plans for the coming weeks. In the past month, the FCC has held a number of staff-led workshops on various parts of the plan. Those workshops will continue through September will a number of new workshops to be announced soon on topics including civil rights, spectrum, and content. In addition, the FCC will hold field hearings around the country. Levin's team reported that the workshops have been an effective way to cover a lot of ground in a brief timeframe. The plan moving forward is for the broadband team to: 1) report again in September on its process and calendar, 2) provide a "factual state of play" in October, and 3) deliver an analysis of key gaps in November. By the FCC's December open meeting, the National Broadband Plan team expects to have a policy framework, followed by a report on the opportunities to drive national purposes in January and wrapping up the plan in February.