[Infowarrior] - Coalition Drawing Up Nationwide Broadband Access Strategy

[Richard Forno]

New Coalition Drawing Up Nationwide Broadband Access Strategy

By Cecilia Kang
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 3, 2008; D03

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/02/AR2008120203164_pf.html

President-elect Barack Obama has said getting affordable high-speed  
Internet service to every American home would create jobs, fuel  
economic growth and spark innovation. Yesterday, representatives from  
technology and telecommunications companies, labor unions and public  
interest groups frequently at odds with one another agreed to provide  
the next president with a roadmap for how to accomplish those goals.

That map could include tax breaks, low-interest loans, subsidies and  
public-private partnerships to encourage more investments in upgrading  
and building out high-speed networks, representatives from Google,  
AT&T and public interest group Free Press said during a panel  
discussion on broadband policy that also served as a coming-out party  
for their newly formed coalition.

The details of how to meet those goals still must be worked out by the  
group, whose aim is to bring more affordable high-speed Internet  
access to every consumer.

Many of the group members have been at odds with each other on whether  
the government should set limits on how much spectrum a company can  
hold, the use of unlicensed devices on fallow broadcast airwaves and  
net neutrality -- the notion that network operators should be  
prevented from blocking or slowing Internet traffic. The formation of  
the group is an effort to move beyond their differences.

"The coalition is a positive in that it demonstrates we agree that we  
have a broadband problem, which not everyone was willing to admit to  
two years ago," said Ben Scott, policy director at Free Press and a  
member of the group. "The key is whether we'll see this group produce  
policy solutions that will require difficult choices."

At stake is the nation's ability to compete technologically and  
economically, the group said. The United States has dropped from the  
top 10 nations for broadband access, speeds and price in the last  
several years. The coalition is pushing for a federal plan that would  
provide access to high-speed Internet service, much as the government  
did with electricity, roads and phone service.

Obama famously used the Internet for outreach during his campaign and  
received 370,000 donations online. He's proposed using blogs, social  
networking tools and community Web pages known as wikis to connect  
citizens to government agencies. And Obama has argued for massive  
upgrades to technology infrastructure such as high-speed, or  
broadband, Internet.

So far the coalition's plans to increase broadband usage mirrors  
Obama's plan, but there could be disagreement over deployment,  
analysts said.

Communications Workers of America President Larry Cohen said the union  
supports a proposal by Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) to  
increase definitions for broadband to 10 megabits per second for  
downloads by 2010. The current definition for broadband speed in the  
United States is 768 kilobits per second downstream, which is far  
below standards in many other nations.

Achieving that goal at prices acceptable to consumers, however, would  
be expensive for telecom and cable network operators. Some in the  
coalition could push for laws that would achieve lower prices and  
higher speeds through more wireless and telecom competitors, but that  
could cause further disagreement among members, Scott said.

Some have already suggested requesting funds from the federal economic  
stimulus plan for broadband deployment. Yesterday, an aide to House  
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Pelosi was in favor of that idea.

AT&T chief lobbyist Jim Cicconi said the company has moved closer to  
the view of public interest groups and Google that the Web should be  
open for all users without discrimination of technology and content on  
their network. But unlike Free Press and consumer groups, AT&T opposes  
new laws or rules on net neutrality, saying Federal Communications  
Commission rules are sufficient, and any violation should be handled  
on a case-by-case basis.

"There will be significant outstanding debates that will be very tough  
and there will still be daylight between the groups on many, many  
issues," said Rebecca Arbogast, an analyst at investment firm Stifel  
Nicolaus. "But both sides are in a phase right now where they are  
emphasizing how much they share in terms of their views on what is an  
appropriate framework for looking at this issue."