[usconservative]

The FCC has no responsibility to deploy broadband service.

The charter of the FCC is not to deploy anything. From the FCC's own webpage:

The Federal Communications Commission regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. An independent U.S. government agency overseen by Congress, the commission is the United States' primary authority for communications law, regulation and technological innovation. In its work facing economic opportunities and challenges associated with rapidly evolving advances in global communications, the agency capitalizes on its competencies in:

• Promoting competition, innovation and investment in broadband services and facilities
• Supporting the nation's economy by ensuring an appropriate competitive framework for the unfolding of the communications revolution
• Encouraging the highest and best use of spectrum domestically and internationally
• Revising media regulations so that new technologies flourish alongside diversity and localism
• Providing leadership in strengthening the defense of the nation's communications infrastructure

  As someone who's followed this issue pretty closely, the balancing act here is in line items #1 and #3 above and this is where the debate has been.

  IMO, the Wireless Carriers have far too much power and influence into the use of broadband OTA (Over The Air) radio spectrum. The 3.5GHz band really needs to be opened up to competition. There's a shit-ton of innovation happening in this space that will dramatically improve access and speed to everyone across America, independent of where they live.

  Legacy landlines, hard-wired cable (Comcast for example) services and others have a vested interest in stifling this innovation because they'll lose money. If you look at the wireless innovations that happen in Asia/Pacific for example, their wireless speeds, bandwidth and capabilities are light years ahead of ours in the U.S. and they pay FAR LESS than we do by comparison.

  The FCC has an obligation here to pull back the curtain and expose these new innovations so that they get tried, validated and implemented (or not) to bolster competition and also, improve our country's communications infrastructure.

  Just my humble opinion of course.

[i_robot73]

I’ll do you one better:

“The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;....”

*NO* where in this section does it state Congress has any authority to create said bureaucracy, nor either to ‘deploy’, ‘invest’ or the like in any SERVICE, or utility....outside of forts, postal roads...

Debating the charter of an illegal\unconstitutional govt entity only loses you the argument from word one.