Bigger U.S. Role in Broadband Is Likely

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Communications Commission began to lay the groundwork for a bigger federal role in the broadband business Wednesday, outlining the hurdles the U.S. needs to overcome to improve the availability of high-speed Internet access.

The FCC identified a number of issues the government should address, including the high cost of laying new broadband lines in rural areas, a lack of airwaves for wireless Web access and ill-informed consumers.

"This focus on broadband is a reflection of a recognition that the U.S. is lagging behind," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said Wednesday at the agency's monthly meeting.

including the high cost of laying new broadband lines in rural areas, a lack of airwaves for wireless Web access and ill-informed consumers.

Rural areas shouldn't GET subsidized physical lines. I live in a somewhat rural area, and went for two years with over the air until cable came in ... without outside help! Now we are going to punish the company that came to my house by laying a new, subsidized pipe to compete with it?

The really rural areas shouldn't have lines at all. Right when they have laid the last line, it will be obsolete because over the air will be as fast (except maybe latency) or faster. We missed out on the ISDN "revolution" that swept Europe and Japan. We didn't suffer over it. Japan was hoing top swamp us with a gov. funded super-computer. By the time the project goy off the ground, it was already obsolete!

The really rural areas shouldn't have lines at all. Right when they have laid the last line, it will be obsolete because over the air will be as fast (except maybe latency) or faster. We missed out on the ISDN "revolution" that swept Europe and Japan. We didn't suffer over it. Japan was hoing top swamp us with a gov. funded super-computer. By the time the project goy off the ground, it was already obsolete!

I'm rural and will never see cable, let alone FiOS. I've already done the Wildblue thing -- that is NOT "broadband." Broadband doesn't have ping times of over 1100ms and a 7500MB rolling cap.

A couple of years ago we hooked up with Alltel's wireless broadband and it was heaven. Things are pretty rocky so far with Verizon after they swallowed Alltel, but the way to go will be wireless. WiMAX, cellular, it doesn't matter.

Did you know the (*#@$ Universal Service Fee is STILL going to pay for landline installations??? Over SEVEN BILLION dollars in taxpayer money is being wasted for the equivalent of a hand-crank car engine. This is the first thing that needs to be dealt with!

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