Point/Counterpoint: What should be in U.S. broadband plan?
Rick Merritt
EE Times

03/03/2010 4:26 AM EST
URL: http://www.eetimessupplynetwork.com/223101311

The Federal Communications Commission is set to issue a National Broadband Plan on March 17. Representatives of Cisco Systems, Google and the Media Access Project—a non-profit lobbying group—share their views on what ought to be in it.

Support for boosting broadband access in the U.S. runs broad and deep, but opinions differ about how to get there. In their articles here, Cisco talks about the need for public education and driving apps, Google calls for accelerated deployment of optical fibre and the Media Access Project says the government cannot rely on market forces.

Some pieces of the government's plan are already becoming clear. The FCC has signaled its plan will include a broad re-thinking about spectrum use in the U.S. The Obama Administration set aside some $7.2 billion in economic stimulus funds for broadband deployment last year.

We'd love to hear what you think ought to be in the U.S. broadband plan, and what you think of the prescriptions of the authors here. You can make your thoughts known with a comment in the space below.

The combatants:

Jeff Campbell

U.S. broadband plan needs apps, not just fast pipes

Richard Whitt

High fiber diet needed for U.S. broadband plan

Matt Wood

Don't rely on market forces to deploy broadband