Ron Sege, CEO of Tropos Networks (which co-sponsors F2C), made comments on the customer support problems that some communities are having when they install municipal broadband and chose to run it themselves. It was brief and there was no specific suggestions (like running open networks and letting ISPs provide the service). He then went on to introduce the FCC Commissioner.
Commissioner Adelstein started with praise for the e-Rate program and what a success it's been -- strange as it's a program that forces schools to buy services from the ILECs and forbids them from buying their own infrastructure!
He then went on to talk about his program for broadband in the US which included a laundry list of subjects like:
- Increase the speeds that are defined as broadband (agrees that 200 Kbps is ludicrous)
- Better data on what services are actually being deployed - finer grain than per ZIP code
- Promote serious competition - acknowledges duopoly is not competition
- Tax breaks like revised depreciation, other government programs (many mentioned...)
- Creative and flexible in our approaches
- Seems to be promoting Universal Services programs (a proven bad idea)
- Worried about delivery of video services. New entrants need access to programming and current rules are due to expire.
Looks for wireless to be a third pipe into the home. Talks about spectrum reform, but it's not clear what he's advocating. "Do whatever we can to promote access to new or unused spectrum."
- Big focus on getting owners of 2.5 GHz spectrum to make use of their spectrum.
- Touting his review of the AT&T - Bellsouth merger and his merger considerations (like their divestiture of 2.5 GHz spectrum).
- Creative management of 3650 MHz spectrum (licensed but not exclusive).
- and so on and so on...
Says he wants to make unused spectrum available but didn't mention cognitive radio until I asked him about it as a question. He referred me the FCC website here.
All and all, it's frustrating to realize what a gap there is between current laws and policy, and what might make sense in the Internet age.
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