Broadband Opportunity Council Wants 'Bold, New Ideas' for Expanding Broadband Deployment
The Broadband Opportunity Council got only a handful of questions Wednesday during a webinar designed to answer broad queries as it seeks public input on barriers hampering broadband deployment. The council was established March 23 by President Barack Obama and…
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is led by the Departments of Agriculture and Commerce, through the Rural Utilities Service and NTIA. “The plan is to make sure that we develop a national broadband expansion plan,” said Keith Adams, assistant administrator at RUS, who spoke during the webinar. “We must use the unique opportunity to collectively join in with the president’s broadband mission and deliver unprecedented impact.” The council already is taking a close look at all federal programs that support broadband “or have the potential to promote broadband services via any type of modifications to rules or regulations,” he said. The council is seeking recommendations from agencies for executive actions and will prepare a final report to the president in August, he said. “We want to make sure that we’re getting all kinds of information from industry, from state, local governments, from anybody who has a stake in understanding how we can provide broadband,” Adams said. The council wants “firsthand feedback on the current issues,” said Douglas Kinkoph, acting associate administrator over the NTIA Office of Telecommunications and Information Applications. “We want to solicit new, bold ideas,” he said. “We’re open to all ideas and issues that you are experiencing.” Comments should cover adoption and deployment issues, Kinkoph said. “It’s important to be specific in regards to the programs, rules, agencies, obstacles and opportunities.” Commenters should avoid addressing issues already before the FCC, such as net neutrality or intercarrier compensation, he said. The council said in a May 6 notice it's seeking comment on: “(i) Ways the federal government can promote best practices, modernize outdated regulations, promote coordination, and offer more services online; (ii) identification of regulatory barriers to broadband deployment, competition, and adoption; (iii) ways to promote public and private investment in broadband; (iv) ways to promote broadband adoption; (v) issues related to state, local, and tribal governments; (vi) issues related to vulnerable communities and communities with limited or no broadband; (vii) issues specific to rural areas; and (viii) ways to measure broadband availability, adoption, and speed.” Comments are due June 10.