Ev,
Thanks but 95% of the "news" articles these days seem to be written by
writers with the uncanny skill of creating confusion instead of creating
clarity. I guess they need to write something to keep collecting their
paychecks. What, in your opinion, are the top three points made in this
article?
Respectfully,
jack
Batey, Everett II NAVSEA wrote:
>
> One of my BeltWay correspondents and news watchers passed me this .. Maybe
> of interest to you.
>
>
One of my BeltWay correspondents and news watchers passed me this .. Maybe
of interest to you.
-- R / Everett -----Original Message----- From: Al Nelson Sent:
Wednesday, April 08, 2009 2:41 Networks May Be Built Ahead of Policies
By Cecilia Kang Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, April 8, 2009;
A12 The Federal Communications Commission will embark today on a nearly
year-long project aimed at bringing high-speed Internet to every U.S.
home, a process that many hope will bring an agency long focused on
arcane telephone rules into the digital age. But by the time the FCC
creates its plan for broadband, it is likely that Internet service
providers will have claimed much of the $7.2 billion in stimulus funds
set aside to build high-speed networks without major input from the
agency. And that has some worried that the Obama administration's call
to wire the nation risks having taxpayer money going toward projects
that are not needed and have been created without clear guidelines.
"This is a huge deal. . . . Broadband is the central infrastructure
challenge of the early 21st century," acting FCC Chairman Michael J.
Copps said in an interview. "If done right, it will be the most
formative proceeding in the FCC's history." Currently, broadband funding
and the rules for implementing the service are spread between three
government agencies: the FCC, the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
While the agencies consult with one another, according to Copps, they
operate as separate organizations with the ability to set their own
rules. The NTIA and the USDA have been charged with distributing
stimulus funds in three phases; the first is from April to June, and the
last before Sept. 30, 2010. While the FCC will not have a direct role in
handing out the funds, it has been ordered to create a comprehensive
plan mapping specific policies to bring broadband to the nation. The
agency is expected to define which speeds are fast enough to be called
broadband and which areas need the service most. The FCC currently
defines broadband at a minimum speed of 786 kilobits per second, which
critics say is too slow for most video clips and large e-mail files.
Public interest groups have called for minimum speeds of 10, 20 or 50
megabits per second for carriers that receive stimulus grants. And
because there are no clear criteria for determining which areas would
qualify as "underserved" communities, public interest groups say they
fear that stimulus money could be poured into middle- to high-income
suburban communities. The FCC's plan is due by February 2010. "Everyone
in Washington and throughout the country is questioning the chronology
of the mandates in the Recovery Act," Jessica Zufolo, a telecom policy
analyst at Medley Global Advisors, said of the stimulus bill. Kyle
McSlarrow, head of the cable trade group National Cable &
Telecommunications Association, said that because the FCC is still
hammering out guidelines to help the other agencies grant applications,
the first phase of funds by the NTIA may be smaller and go to areas
where there clearly isn't any Internet service. "The good news is that
everyone is conscious of the risk of putting the cart before the horse
and so they will be as careful as they can to make sure that doesn't
happen," McSlarrow said. Ideally, the FCC's plan would have been in
place before stimulus funds were granted, say tech advisers who helped
craft President Obama's broadband strategy. But the urgency of the
economic crisis called for quick ways to create jobs, including through
broadband deployment, they said. "We need the stimulus to create jobs
that are timely, targeted and temporary," said Larry Irving, a former
head of the NTIA and an adviser to Obama's transition team. "That was
the first stage of a multistage effort to get our arms around national
broadband strategy." Analysts said the FCC would probably look at
existing policies to see how they could be used to expand broadband
access and adoption. One possible change is of a $7 billion federal
phone subsidy that many say should be used for broadband, particularly
as consumers increasingly cut traditional phone service and use their
cell phones for all voice communication. Carriers like Sprint have
called on the FCC to alter pricing rules that allow big telecom
providers to charge higher rates for smaller competitors to use parts of
their networks. Sprint says the money they would save through changes in
special access rules could be used for more wireless broadband. Zufolo
said many wireless providers are excited about a bill introduced by
Sens. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) that would
require the FCC and Department of Commerce to inventory all available
radio spectrum. Currently, it is unclear outside those agencies how much
spectrum is available and what is not being used. Wireless operators see
the data as a key lobbying point for more spectrum auctions so that they
can boost their networks. ***** This email and any files transmitted
with it may be legally privileged and are intended solely for the use of
the addressees. Any unauthorized disclosure, copying or distribution is
strictly prohibited. Additional restrictions may apply if you or your
company is under a Non-Disclosure Agreement with DELTA Resources, Inc.
If you have received this email in error please immediately notify DELTA
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--
Jack Unger - President, Ask-Wi.Com, Inc.
Serving the Broadband Wireless Industry Since 1993
Cisco Press Author - "Deploying License-Free Wireless WANs"
WISPs - Do you know where your customers are?
For wireless coverage mapping see http://www.ask-wi.com/mapping
FCC Lic. #PG-12-25133 LinkedIn Profile <http://www.linkedin.com/in/jackunger>
Phone 818-227-4220 Email <[email protected]>
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