With the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski scheduled to officially unveil the National Broadband Plan before Congress on Tuesday, March 16, the revolutionary Internet policy being proposed has already invited the ire of some of the ‘affected parties.’
Those who apparently oppose the FCC proposals – which chiefly seek to increase Internet speeds by almost 25 times; provide 100 million Americans the access to 100 Mbps Internet over the next decade; and urge TV stations to relinquish unused spectrum - include government agencies, TV broadcasters, mobile carriers, and, surprisingly, even the consumers; all for their own specific reasons.
While government agencies, like Department of Defense, may not overtly appear to be adversely affected by the FCC proposal, they presume that, in the future, the FCC might urge them to give up some of their wireless spectrums for mobile development.
Television stations, which are allowed to sell their unused spectrums any way they want, evidently oppose the idea of the proposed ‘voluntary’ hand over of the unused spectrum to the FCC, which intends putting it up for bid in an auction-type format.
Meanwhile, wireless companies detest FCC’s alleged proposal of a free, or low-cost, countrywide wireless network – a move that would pitch the established carriers against the government.
Moreover, even the consumers apparently disapprove of the FCC’s proposals because they fear that government’s Internet regulations would either throttle competition or enjoin US policy with network performance.
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