Federal Communications Commission Delivers National Broadband Plan To Congress

After many months of strategy and anticipation building in the telecommunications industry, the Federal Communications Commission announced its recommendations to Congress for a National Broadband Plan on Tuesday, March 16th. The FCC has been working to put together a plan with the overarching goal of connecting the entire nation with fast, affordable internet access, while supporting the economy and innovation within the telecommunications industry. Many companies have responded with their applause to the FCC for starting the process to develop a national plan, and agreeing to work with the agency and Congressional leaders as the plan starts to take more shape to ensure it is beneficial for Americans and the industry.

Full details on the plan sent to Congress can be viewed by visiting the Federal Communications Commission website at www.fcc.gov. The plan contains a number of recommendations including connecting 100 million households to affordable broadband internet access within the next 10 years, building a national government-owned interoperable public-safety network, putting in place numerous processes to turn current unused bandwidth into available bandwidth for companies, and providing funds to build broadband in rural areas.

The Dallas Regional Chamber’s Technology Business Council tracks and advocates on key legislation impacting the high-tech and bio-tech industries. The TBC has been watching the announcements with the FCC’s National Broadband Plan and will continue to provide updates on this issue. If this is an issue important to your company, please contact Shannon Clark, managing director of Technology Business Development for the Chamber, to discuss ways to get involved in the TBC’s public policy initiatives.

To view all of the TBC’s current policy positions, please visit www.DallasTBC.org.