Two Perspectives on the National Broadband Plan

In the months since the Federal Communications Commission released the National Broadband Plan, the suggested policies and goals have produced considerable support as well as criticism. Through their respective efforts, Craig Settles, a broadband industry analyst, and Blair Levin, chief architect of the National Broadband Plan, have become two prominent voices addressing the Plan, trading columns on GigaOM.

In his columns, Settles has argued that the National Broadband Plan calls for a monolithic solution to broadband adoption at the expense of flexibility in supporting different locally-based approaches to maximize economic outcomes, as well as challenged the polices for competition and changes to the Universal Service Fund. Levin, Director of the National Broadband Plan, has defended the Plan arguing that Settles' criticism ignores a number of key recommendations, the problems that Congress ask that the Plan address, and the economics of broadband deployment.

On February 7, the New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative and GigaOM will host Settles and Levin to continue the discussion of the National Broadband Plan and how to move towards implementation.

The Wall Street Journal's Amy Schatz and GigaOM's Stacey Higginbotham will moderate the discussion.

http://www.newamerica.net/events/2011/Two_Perspectives_Broadband

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• National
• Broadband
• Plan
• Interpretation
• FCC
• Federal
• Communications
• Commission