FCC Commissioner Demands FCC Comes Up With A Broadband Plan

from the isn't-that-your-job? dept

Wed, Feb 8th 2006 5:09pm — Mike Masnick

While it's been fairly obvious to plenty of people that the FCC hasn't had much of a comprehensive plan concerning broadband in this country, it still comes out a bit odd to hear an FCC Commissioner admit exactly that (found via Broadband Reports). After all, if Michael Copps is upset about a lack of a broadband plan, isn't it, you know, his job to help them come up with one?

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10 Comments

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Tyshaun, 8 Feb 2006 @ 6:07pm

Question
Does the FCC have any legal domain over broadband to begin with? I thought their "original" charter deals strictly with airwave related issues (spectrum control, etc).
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Feb 2006 @ 6:08pm

No Subject Given
As long as he do not ask the telcos to fix the problem, something may get done about it.
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Dizturbd1, 8 Feb 2006 @ 8:58pm

No Subject Given
I believe it is about time, WE take back the airwaves. Restructure the system (and have it ALL inline with the other contries) as so there are no "unknown" gaps or areas.

First off, as for the censoring of images, etc... over airwaves/cable tv lines... I believe it is up to US as adults to monitor what we want, and or do not want sensitive young ones to watch.

The fact of the matter is, parents have grown stupid and lazy, and are laying blame on companies, and the government. The government which is now over stepping its boundries and treading upon our civil liberties.
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Tom, 8 Feb 2006 @ 9:43pm

Re: Question
You are right I am sure, but I suspect it won't be long until broadband is truly an airwave related issue. It's a logical progression and I am surprised the FCC has forseen this. Probably it's more related to a control issue.
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Devang (profile), 8 Feb 2006 @ 9:55pm

No Subject Given
Is it just me, or is the plan going to get rid of network neutrality.

One simply cannot trust republicans when it come to this. For them, the plan to increase competition in TV and radio involved giving corporations 1st ammendment rights...
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Dizturbd1, 8 Feb 2006 @ 9:57pm

Re: Question
Tom, Of course it is. You see the government morons think we are too stupid to run our own lives. You combind this with the already overly available pack of whiny parents, who won't take care of their own children, and blame the government for not doing their job.... This has already started that ball rolling.
A character on "Scrubs" already stated where the biggest arguement will come from. "I'm Fairly sure if they took porn off the internet there would only be one website left and it would be called BringBackThePorn"-Dr. Cox, Scrubs
See parents have NO idea, that Cyber Sitter, Net Nanny, AOL w/ Parental Controls - Even exists. (Ok ok, I'll give you the smart ones do, and are not in the "whiney pack") However I'll stick to my statement.
People are lazy, don't want to do it. So the government will step in, go WAAAY over board. In turn ruining everyones fun, then it's back to square one, of everyone bitching again.
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Tom Cameron, 8 Feb 2006 @ 10:01pm

broad-BAND
You realise that broadBAND is not the proper term for all highspeed internet access, right? BroadBAND simply references a method of communicating over a broad frequency spectrum (thus, the FCC).

What's more, the FCC rules on a lot more than just radio waves. They rule over what Telcos, and all the companies involved therein, must and/or must not provide and do. They mandate that when the power goes out, telephone lines must stay active for so many hours. Also, the FCC mandated 911, and now e911.

What's important here is that the FCC allowed the broadband scam to get started by loosening restrictions on Telcos, in the understanding that they would be providing fiber lines straight to the curb. This all got rolling about a decade ago, and has come to the surface recently due to the fact that people can actually USE up to 45Mbps...which the carriers did not believe originally.
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PsuedoDragon (profile), 8 Feb 2006 @ 10:20pm

FCC and its whiny problems
personally i think the fcc needs to be disbanded due to the fact that [and your right] the fcc shouldnt have any say so over broadband [at least the cable internet cause DSL travels over standard telco lines] and as far as vonage and other providers of VOIP [voice over internet protocal] not classifing their service as a telecommunication service. Well i for one am glad cause the less of my money the big telcos and the fcc get makes me just that much happier.
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Andrew Strasser, 9 Feb 2006 @ 2:45am

Re: Question
The FCC does have jurisdiction over any frequency or frequency device even if you have a frequency chip in a device you will see the FCC's stamp of approval on it. How else do you think they keep them good chips from leaving the country. If you're ever interested in listings man they do chipsets for almost everything on-line now I'm sue you could find your component.

Taking it out of their hands is ridiculous they won't give up the future of phones. I'm sure there's a dept. working on what goes on on all the FCC airwaves(being a figrative word meaning frequencies because even though you don't hear it it's still there...). With that in mind I agree there should be a dept. for that and he should be figuring out who's running it what their mission statement is and what available resources they have to get there.
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RICK, 9 Feb 2006 @ 10:48am

No Subject Given
FCC=MORONS
GOVERNMENT=IDIOTS
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