December 16 Broadband presentation
National Broadband Plan
Policy Framework
December 16, 2009 – FCC Open Meeting
63 days until Plan is due
What we want to accomplish today
• Review principles for policy development
• Review framework for National Broadband Plan
2
Congressional mandate
To fulfill statutory obligation to write a plan that will “seek to ensure that all people of the
United States have access to broadband capability and shall establish benchmarks for
meeting that goal.”
Other Statutory Objectives:
(A) Analyze the most effective and efficient mechanisms for ensuring broadband access by
all people of the United States
(B) Provide:
- A detailed strategy for achieving affordability of such service.
- A detailed strategy for maximum utilization of broadband infrastructure and service
by the public
(C) Evaluate the state of deployment
- Include an evaluation of progress of projects supported by the grants made pursuant
to the Recovery Act
(D) Provide a plan for the use of broadband infrastructure and services in:
• Advancing consumer welfare
•
Education
• Civic participation
•
Worker training
• Public safety and homeland security
•
Private sector investment
• Community development
•
Entrepreneurial activity
• Health care delivery
•
Job creation and economic growth
• Energy independence and efficiency
•
Other national purposes
3
Guiding principles for Plan development
1. Open and transparent process
2. Build on specific attributes of American broadband ecosystem
3. Aspire high, but find a practical and sustainable path
4. Recommend concrete action based on data and analysis
5. Eye on the future
4
Guiding principles for policy choices
1. Private sector investment is essential; new funding is limited
2. Competition drives innovation and better choices for consumers
3. Better utilization of existing assets is required
4. Policy changes require consideration of unintended consequences
5. New law is necessary in certain cases, but should be limited
5
Plan will accelerate innovation and investment across the
broadband ecosystem
mobile
Consumers,
business,
government
Overview and proposed framework to address key gaps
1. Transform USF to support broadband
•
Reform existing programs through short term actions
•
Engage in rule changes for longer term transformation
availability gap
• Middle mile gap
2. BTOP provides middle mile funding in current tranche
•
Consider future mechanisms to fill remaining gaps
• ROW and pole
3. Improve infrastructure access
attachments gap
•
Reform ROW, poles, and conduit to reduce deployment costs
•
Enable municipal efforts where appropriate
4. Incentives for capital formation, investment
•
Tax Policy
•
Competition
•
Consider incentives for certain geographies, such as tribal
lands
• Spectrum gap
5. 21st century spectrum policy
•
Long term, not ad hoc, process for spectrum
•
More bandwidth for broadband
•
Enable innovative opportunistic new uses for spectrum
• Data gap
6. Improved data collection across the Commission
• Set top boxes
7. Transform CableCard to enable video and IP convergence
7
Overview and proposed framework to address key gaps
educated choices
and Content
• End user data control 9. Enable innovative uses in secure, privacy-protected,
gap
environment
• Media gap
10. Incentives for institutions to fill emerging gaps in
news and information
• Cybersecurity and
11. Ensure a safe, secure Internet that respects
piracy gaps
intellectual property laws
12. BTOP Sustainable Adoption Funding
utilization gap
including standard-setting and clearinghouse
14. Digital literacy efforts
• Affordability gap
15. BTOP Public Computing Center Program
16. USF support for low-income broadband adoption
• Accessibility gap
17. Emphasis on specific situations such as Americans
with disabilities
8
Areas of Focus for Today
• USF
• Infrastructure access
• Spectrum
• Tribal lands
• Set-top boxes
• Consumer information
• Media
• Adoption
• Accessibility
• Public safety (Other national purposes in January)
9
USF Reform Guiding Principles
1. Universality is the focus on availability and affordability
2. USF resources are finite; require allocation tradeoffs
3. USF policies should be viewed holistically across all four USF
support programs
4. USF policies should be flexible enough to adjust to changes in
technology and demand for broadband services
5. USF policies should be designed to achieve measurable
outcomes with transparency, oversight, and accountability
6. USF reforms should have a predictable and defined transition
path
10
current system? Options under consideration include:
- Cutting inefficient spending in the high cost fund
- Removing barriers to use of E-Rate funded connections in schools for
adoption and community use comparable to permissible uses of E-
Rate funded connections in libraries
- Enabling schools and libraries that currently have dial-up to migrate
to broadband
- Extending the deadline for the Rural Health Care Pilot Program and
providing more administrative support to help participants through
the process
11
support for broadband services? Options under consideration include:
- Revising the current method of collecting funds with an emphasis on
sustainability
- Transforming the High Cost Fund to support specific broadband goals
over the next 5 to 10 years with a defined transition path for existing
recipients
- Permitting low income households to use Lifeline support for broadband;
integrating Lifeline with other programs to promote adoption and digital
literacy
- Based on lessons learned from the Rural Health Care Pilot Program,
designing a new health program to expand affordable broadband
connectivity
- Considering USF reform in conjunction with other FCC proceedings such
as ICC and Special Access
12
1. Broadband infrastructure requires a partnership between the
federal government and various state and local entities
2. Timely and predictable dispute resolution is critical to private
investment in deployment
3. Federal investments in roads, bridges, and other infrastructure
provide an opportunity to deploy broadband infrastructure
4. Lowering the costs of infrastructure inputs improves the business
case for further upgrades and sustainable competition
5. Better coordination can reduce costs throughout the entire
ecosystem – “dig once”
13
attachments and, in certain circumstances, improving options for
municipalities, both of which would help drive more deployment. Options
under consideration include:
- Establish a uniform and fair rental rate for pole attachments
- Adopt rules that lower make-ready costs and speed access to poles,
ducts, conduits, and Rights of Way
- Create a streamlined dispute resolution mechanism
- Enable municipalities to create broadband options where circumstances
warrant
- Amend section 224 to establish a consistent national framework for all
poles, ducts, and conduits
14
1. The demand for wireless broadband services will exceed the supply of
spectrum to deliver those services
2. There is not enough new spectrum for wireless broadband services in the
pipeline to close this gap
3. It takes a long time to address spectrum gaps, so we must start now
4. There are 3 potential paths to close the gap. We must pursue all 3 –
each individually is necessary but not sufficient
a. More productive use of existing bands
b. More bandwidth available for broadband services
c. Development & deployment of technologies to support new uses
5. A large, new spectrum allocation is essential to improving broadband
competition
6. The country should review spectrum allocations & management practices
periodically going forward to ensure the most productive use of this
national asset
7. An RF assessment is a key enabler for periodic spectrum reviews
8. Market forces should be applied to all bands, though other policy
objectives should play a role in allocation decisions
15
incentives to encourage incumbents to use existing allocations more
effectively? Options under consideration include:
- An RF assessment tool to document and expose current license and
usage information to facilitate research, planning, and potential
transactions
- A periodic spectrum review process which is based on a list of factors
that the FCC and NTIA can use to determine actions with regard to
particular bands
- Utilization of spectrum fees and band-clearing auctions to drive more
effective market allocation
- Greater incentives for more efficient use of government spectrum
16
an innovative wireless industry, balancing the engineering and policy
constraints present in the current allocations. Options under consideration
include:
- Identify new spectrum for licensed and unlicensed use
- Resolve pending spectrum allocation & use issues, including:
- Advanced Wireless Services 2 & 3
- Wireless Communications Service viability for mobile service
- 700 MHz D Block
- TV White Spaces
- Explore various proposals that have been submitted, including:
- Access to TV spectrum while maintaining over-the-air television
- Access to federal spectrum in conjunction with NTIA
- Use of terrestrial operations in mobile satellite spectrum
17
space for unlicensed and opportunistic use to promote new devices and
applications. Options under consideration include:
- Preserving spectrum for unlicensed devices
- Developing tools to manage access in order to protect incumbent
operators
- Allowing opportunistic use on FCC-held licenses (i.e., licenses not sold
at auction)
- Enabling spectrum monitoring equipment to better inform the
availability of spectrum including on a real time database
- Expanding model of opportunistic use to other bands where appropriate
- Creating an interference dispute resolution mechanism
18
1. Increasingly, the television is becoming an Internet-access device
2. Delivering Internet video to the television could drive higher
broadband adoption and utilization (as 99% of households have
TVs, versus 79% with computers) as new apps and uses would
emerge
3. The convergence of television and the Internet is hindered by the
lack of innovation in the set top box market
4. An open market in devices will drive further innovation
5. To date, CableCARD has not achieved its intended goals, in part
due to poor implementation
6. The FCC has the authority to help open the set top box market to
greater competition and innovation
19
navigation devices (e.g., STBs, TVs, DVRs) pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 549
to foster greater device innovation in the set top box market and the
convergence of Internet and television? Options under consideration
include:
-
of CableCARD; including bundled provisioning, pricing, and billing
-
small, low-cost device whose only functionality is to bridge the
proprietary MVPD network elements (conditional access, tuning &
reception functions) to common, open standard widely-used in home
communications interfaces; enables a retail navigation device to
operate on all MVPD platforms
20
The Future of Media
• Universal broadband important to ensuring that the new media
landscape benefits all Americans
• The spread of Internet access:
- Undermined established media business models
- Triggered an explosion of innovation in the media space
• The Broadband Plan will assess the impacts of the universal
broadband strategy both on commercial media and the public
media licensees
21
Broadband Transparency Guiding Principles
1. Consumers should understand the actual performance of the
products and services they purchase
2. A market of better informed consumers will foster competition
and encourage providers to deliver improving service
3. The information provided consumers should be clear, simple, and
verifiable
4. There is a considerable difference between advertised “up to” and
“actual” performance
5. There are a number of factors that determine network
performance
6. Service providers cannot control every aspect of network
performance (e.g., end-user hardware)
22
Broadband Transparency Initiative
performance of different services to incent competition and improved
performance. Options under consideration include:
- A measurement system that allows consumers to see the difference
between average and advertised speeds
- A speedtest application that leverages speedtests available in the
market so that consumers and the FCC can develop a more complete
view of fixed network performance as experienced by users
- A ratings system so consumers or property owners can see the relative
performance of broadband in their facility
- In partnership with NTIA, a National Broadband Map that provides a
clearinghouse of broadband data that is searchable, and open to direct
consumer feedback on their connection and options available in their
local area
23
1. Native American tribes are sovereign governments with distinct
political and Tribal structures
2. As such, tribes have a special relationship with the federal
government based on the premise of government-to-government
interaction
3. Both deployment and adoption of broadband on Tribal lands is
dramatically worse than elsewhere in the US
4. Tribal lands tend to be more rural and remote than other regions
of the country, and thus more costly to serve
5. Each Tribal situation is unique
24
should address future data gathering, deployment, adoption, national
purposes and coordination/governance topics. Options under
consideration include:
- Tribal-specific data gathering effort for both deployment and adoption
- Deployment to key “anchor institutions” in Tribal lands as a way to
reach broader population
- Continuing to facilitate Tribal participation in USF
- Coordinating with other Plan recommendations that intersect with
Tribal issues (e.g., education, health care)
- Creating a joint Federal-Tribal broadband working group to identify
ways to remove barriers to deployment and adoption on Tribal lands
25
1. “Adoption” means ability to access and use broadband
delivered at the home, or to the individual
2. “Utilization” relates to intensity of use
3. Adoption is increasing overall, but many segments are lagging
significantly and a utilization gap exists even among adopters
4. Key barriers to adoption are affordability, skills, relevance, and
accessibility
5. Policy should be designed to further existing local efforts, by
bringing vision, research, support and resources
6. The private sector has a stake in increasing adoption rates, and
public-private partnerships can be effective models for reaching
non-adopters
7. Federal leadership and resources must play a role in closing the
adoption gap
26
and individuals, but with the benefit of national support. Options under
consideration include:
- An independent foundation to focus on adoption:
8Support ongoing research and analysis of innovative adoption efforts
8Facilitate sharing of ideas and “tool-kits”
8Help bring scale to innovative and successful local efforts
- Large-scale public/private partnerships that deliver comprehensive
solutions to non-adopters via existing channels to reach them
- A tax deduction for employers who pay for devices and connectivity for
low-income, non-adopter employees
- Developing digital literacy standards and enhancing digital literacy
support
27
1. 54 million Americans have some sort of disability, including
speech, hearing, vision, mobility, and cognitive disabilities
2. Preliminary FCC survey data suggests that of those with
disabilities, only 42% have adopted broadband
3. People with disabilities face the same barriers to adoption that
other Americans face (affordability, relevance, skills)
4. In addition, people with disabilities face their own unique barriers:
- High cost of assistive technologies
- Lack of consideration of accessibility in product development phase
- Limited accessibility of web content
- Lack of accessible services
28
broader programmatic efforts, such as those addressing digital literacy,
hardware availability, and others. In addition, specialized, tailored
solutions are required. Options under consideration include:
- Promoting the availability of innovative mainstream devices and
components that have built-in accessibility features and standardized
interfaces that allow for interoperability between information
technology and assistive technology (AT)
- Promoting affordable and innovative AT options and ensuring that
people with disabilities are aware of these options
- Promoting the accessibility of web content, including video
programming
- Promoting innovative and accessible services and ensuring that
network features and functions do not thwart accessibility
- Promoting best practices in training and customer support for product
use
29
National Purposes Guiding Principles
1. Broadband is part of the solution to the nation’s greatest
challenges
2. Different institutions require different levels of connectivity, so
do different functions/applications
3. Connectivity alone is not sufficient to further national purposes;
the ecosystem matters
4. Aligned incentives are necessary to drive innovation and
motivate adoption of broadband and applications that further
national purposes
30
Overview and proposed framework to address key gaps
care facilities
electronic health care records
uses of technology to lower costs and improve
and telemedicine)
quality of care
3. Make investment in federal provider networks
to ensure patients and taxpayers can reap
benefits
• Data utilization gap
4. Unlock health applications through use of data
• Adoption and application usage
1. Upgrade E-Rate
• Personalized learning gap
2. Enable the creation and distribution of digital
content
• Delivery and supplemental tool
3. Enable the development and adoption of
gap
online learning opportunities
• Transparency and
4. Foster interoperability and transparency
interoperability gap
• Data utilization gap
5. Unlock education applications through use of
data
31
Overview and proposed framework to address key gaps
1. More effective support of small and medium
enterprises utilizing broadband
2. Transform job training and placement
placement opportunities gap
• Economic development gap
3. Enable local and regional economic
development via strategies that integrate
broadband
• Smart grid connectivity gap
1. Bring “industrial broadband” to the smart grid
2. Unlock the energy information economy
• Smart transportation gap
3. Accelerate transportation communication
applications
• Environmental impact of
4. Upgrade ICT infrastructure
broadband
32
Overview and proposed framework to address key gaps
1. Increase innovation inside government
2. Improve service delivery to citizens
& Civic
performance
• Civic engagement gap
4. Transform how citizens engage in their
democracy
• Data utilization gap
5. Unlock government operations through use of
data
1. Nationwide interoperable broadband wireless
• Next Generation 911 gap
2. Develop Next Generation 911 system
• Alerting system gap
3. Develop comprehensive Next Generation alert
system
• Critical infrastructure
4. Enhance security measures to protect critical
protection gap
infrastructure
33
Public Safety
their communications with the public, and ensure that broadband networks are
sound and secure, on a day-to-day basis and during emergencies. Options under
consideration include:
1
2
3
interoperable
protect critical
next-generation
broadband wireless
infrastructure
9-1-1 system
response
alert system
communications
network
• Create an Emergency
• GAO should
• Initiate an inquiry
• Establish a voluntary
•Promote use of
Response
analyze costs and
into a comprehensive cyber security
broadband satellite
Interoperability Center
appropriate
Next Generation
certification regime
service in emergency
to set interoperability
Congressional
alerting system
response
and governance
• Create a cyber security
appropriations
procedures and
• Clarify agency roles
information reporting
• Preserve broadband
standards
• Congress should
associated with
system
communications
enact a federal
implementation and
• Survey state and local
• Improve infrastructure during emergencies
framework
maintenance of Next
public safety broadband
survivability
Generation alerting
infrastructure and
• Examine extending
equipment
location
• Ensure adequate
information to
funding for coverage
broadband
and resiliency
34
Steps Ahead
January
• Report on opportunities to
Commission Meeting
drive national purposes
February
Commission Meeting
• Report on completed plan
35
Policy Framework
December 16, 2009 – FCC Open Meeting
63 days until Plan is due
What we want to accomplish today
• Review principles for policy development
• Review framework for National Broadband Plan
2
Congressional mandate
To fulfill statutory obligation to write a plan that will “seek to ensure that all people of the
United States have access to broadband capability and shall establish benchmarks for
meeting that goal.”
Other Statutory Objectives:
(A) Analyze the most effective and efficient mechanisms for ensuring broadband access by
all people of the United States
(B) Provide:
- A detailed strategy for achieving affordability of such service.
- A detailed strategy for maximum utilization of broadband infrastructure and service
by the public
(C) Evaluate the state of deployment
- Include an evaluation of progress of projects supported by the grants made pursuant
to the Recovery Act
(D) Provide a plan for the use of broadband infrastructure and services in:
• Advancing consumer welfare
•
Education
• Civic participation
•
Worker training
• Public safety and homeland security
•
Private sector investment
• Community development
•
Entrepreneurial activity
• Health care delivery
•
Job creation and economic growth
• Energy independence and efficiency
•
Other national purposes
3
Guiding principles for Plan development
1. Open and transparent process
2. Build on specific attributes of American broadband ecosystem
3. Aspire high, but find a practical and sustainable path
4. Recommend concrete action based on data and analysis
5. Eye on the future
4
Guiding principles for policy choices
1. Private sector investment is essential; new funding is limited
2. Competition drives innovation and better choices for consumers
3. Better utilization of existing assets is required
4. Policy changes require consideration of unintended consequences
5. New law is necessary in certain cases, but should be limited
5
Plan will accelerate innovation and investment across the
broadband ecosystem
Applications &
Content
Adoption &
Utilization
Fixed andmobile
Consumers,
business,
government
Devices
Network
Services
6Overview and proposed framework to address key gaps
Gaps and Issues
Framework
• Fixed1. Transform USF to support broadband
Network
infrastructure•
Reform existing programs through short term actions
•
Engage in rule changes for longer term transformation
availability gap
• Middle mile gap
2. BTOP provides middle mile funding in current tranche
•
Consider future mechanisms to fill remaining gaps
• ROW and pole
3. Improve infrastructure access
attachments gap
•
Reform ROW, poles, and conduit to reduce deployment costs
•
Enable municipal efforts where appropriate
4. Incentives for capital formation, investment
•
Tax Policy
•
Competition
•
Consider incentives for certain geographies, such as tribal
lands
• Spectrum gap
5. 21st century spectrum policy
•
Long term, not ad hoc, process for spectrum
•
More bandwidth for broadband
•
Enable innovative opportunistic new uses for spectrum
• Data gap
6. Improved data collection across the Commission
• Set top boxes
7. Transform CableCard to enable video and IP convergence
Devices
and greater device innovation7
Overview and proposed framework to address key gaps
Gaps and Issues
Framework
• Consumer information 8. Broadband Transparency Initiative to enable moreApplications
gapeducated choices
and Content
• End user data control 9. Enable innovative uses in secure, privacy-protected,
gap
environment
• Media gap
10. Incentives for institutions to fill emerging gaps in
news and information
• Cybersecurity and
11. Ensure a safe, secure Internet that respects
piracy gaps
intellectual property laws
Adoption and
• Adoption and12. BTOP Sustainable Adoption Funding
utilization gap
Utilization
13. National support for local, targeted efforts,including standard-setting and clearinghouse
14. Digital literacy efforts
• Affordability gap
15. BTOP Public Computing Center Program
16. USF support for low-income broadband adoption
• Accessibility gap
17. Emphasis on specific situations such as Americans
with disabilities
8
Areas of Focus for Today
• USF
• Infrastructure access
• Spectrum
• Tribal lands
• Set-top boxes
• Consumer information
• Media
• Adoption
• Accessibility
• Public safety (Other national purposes in January)
9
USF Reform Guiding Principles
1. Universality is the focus on availability and affordability
2. USF resources are finite; require allocation tradeoffs
3. USF policies should be viewed holistically across all four USF
support programs
4. USF policies should be flexible enough to adjust to changes in
technology and demand for broadband services
5. USF policies should be designed to achieve measurable
outcomes with transparency, oversight, and accountability
6. USF reforms should have a predictable and defined transition
path
10
Network
USF Short and Medium Term ActionFramework
: What are short-term actions to improve performance ofcurrent system? Options under consideration include:
- Cutting inefficient spending in the high cost fund
- Removing barriers to use of E-Rate funded connections in schools for
adoption and community use comparable to permissible uses of E-
Rate funded connections in libraries
- Enabling schools and libraries that currently have dial-up to migrate
to broadband
- Extending the deadline for the Rural Health Care Pilot Program and
providing more administrative support to help participants through
the process
11
Network
USF Long Term TransformationFramework
: What can be done to transform USF to shift the focus tosupport for broadband services? Options under consideration include:
- Revising the current method of collecting funds with an emphasis on
sustainability
- Transforming the High Cost Fund to support specific broadband goals
over the next 5 to 10 years with a defined transition path for existing
recipients
- Permitting low income households to use Lifeline support for broadband;
integrating Lifeline with other programs to promote adoption and digital
literacy
- Based on lessons learned from the Rural Health Care Pilot Program,
designing a new health program to expand affordable broadband
connectivity
- Considering USF reform in conjunction with other FCC proceedings such
as ICC and Special Access
12
Network
Infrastructure Access Guiding Principles1. Broadband infrastructure requires a partnership between the
federal government and various state and local entities
2. Timely and predictable dispute resolution is critical to private
investment in deployment
3. Federal investments in roads, bridges, and other infrastructure
provide an opportunity to deploy broadband infrastructure
4. Lowering the costs of infrastructure inputs improves the business
case for further upgrades and sustainable competition
5. Better coordination can reduce costs throughout the entire
ecosystem – “dig once”
13
Network
Infrastructure InitiativesFramework
: The Plan should explore reducing cost of ROW and poleattachments and, in certain circumstances, improving options for
municipalities, both of which would help drive more deployment. Options
under consideration include:
- Establish a uniform and fair rental rate for pole attachments
- Adopt rules that lower make-ready costs and speed access to poles,
ducts, conduits, and Rights of Way
- Create a streamlined dispute resolution mechanism
- Enable municipalities to create broadband options where circumstances
warrant
- Amend section 224 to establish a consistent national framework for all
poles, ducts, and conduits
14
Network
Spectrum Policy Guiding Principles1. The demand for wireless broadband services will exceed the supply of
spectrum to deliver those services
2. There is not enough new spectrum for wireless broadband services in the
pipeline to close this gap
3. It takes a long time to address spectrum gaps, so we must start now
4. There are 3 potential paths to close the gap. We must pursue all 3 –
each individually is necessary but not sufficient
a. More productive use of existing bands
b. More bandwidth available for broadband services
c. Development & deployment of technologies to support new uses
5. A large, new spectrum allocation is essential to improving broadband
competition
6. The country should review spectrum allocations & management practices
periodically going forward to ensure the most productive use of this
national asset
7. An RF assessment is a key enabler for periodic spectrum reviews
8. Market forces should be applied to all bands, though other policy
objectives should play a role in allocation decisions
15
Network
Long-Term Planning; More Efficient UseFramework
: What can be done to provide better transparency and betterincentives to encourage incumbents to use existing allocations more
effectively? Options under consideration include:
- An RF assessment tool to document and expose current license and
usage information to facilitate research, planning, and potential
transactions
- A periodic spectrum review process which is based on a list of factors
that the FCC and NTIA can use to determine actions with regard to
particular bands
- Utilization of spectrum fees and band-clearing auctions to drive more
effective market allocation
- Greater incentives for more efficient use of government spectrum
16
Network
More Bandwidth for BroadbandFramework
: Consider all options for spectrum to close the gap and securean innovative wireless industry, balancing the engineering and policy
constraints present in the current allocations. Options under consideration
include:
- Identify new spectrum for licensed and unlicensed use
- Resolve pending spectrum allocation & use issues, including:
- Advanced Wireless Services 2 & 3
- Wireless Communications Service viability for mobile service
- 700 MHz D Block
- TV White Spaces
- Explore various proposals that have been submitted, including:
- Access to TV spectrum while maintaining over-the-air television
- Access to federal spectrum in conjunction with NTIA
- Use of terrestrial operations in mobile satellite spectrum
17
Network
Enable Innovative UsesFramework:
Spectrum is a key ingredient to a technology sector, requiringspace for unlicensed and opportunistic use to promote new devices and
applications. Options under consideration include:
- Preserving spectrum for unlicensed devices
- Developing tools to manage access in order to protect incumbent
operators
- Allowing opportunistic use on FCC-held licenses (i.e., licenses not sold
at auction)
- Enabling spectrum monitoring equipment to better inform the
availability of spectrum including on a real time database
- Expanding model of opportunistic use to other bands where appropriate
- Creating an interference dispute resolution mechanism
18
Devices
Set Top Box Guiding Principles1. Increasingly, the television is becoming an Internet-access device
2. Delivering Internet video to the television could drive higher
broadband adoption and utilization (as 99% of households have
TVs, versus 79% with computers) as new apps and uses would
emerge
3. The convergence of television and the Internet is hindered by the
lack of innovation in the set top box market
4. An open market in devices will drive further innovation
5. To date, CableCARD has not achieved its intended goals, in part
due to poor implementation
6. The FCC has the authority to help open the set top box market to
greater competition and innovation
19
Devices
Set Top BoxesFramework
: How can the FCC ensure the competitive availability of videonavigation devices (e.g., STBs, TVs, DVRs) pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 549
to foster greater device innovation in the set top box market and the
convergence of Internet and television? Options under consideration
include:
-
Fix CableCARD
: directly address current barriers to implementationof CableCARD; including bundled provisioning, pricing, and billing
-
Mandate a home gateway device
. Require MVPDs to provide asmall, low-cost device whose only functionality is to bridge the
proprietary MVPD network elements (conditional access, tuning &
reception functions) to common, open standard widely-used in home
communications interfaces; enables a retail navigation device to
operate on all MVPD platforms
20
Applications
and ContentThe Future of Media
• Universal broadband important to ensuring that the new media
landscape benefits all Americans
• The spread of Internet access:
- Undermined established media business models
- Triggered an explosion of innovation in the media space
• The Broadband Plan will assess the impacts of the universal
broadband strategy both on commercial media and the public
media licensees
21
Applications
and ContentBroadband Transparency Guiding Principles
1. Consumers should understand the actual performance of the
products and services they purchase
2. A market of better informed consumers will foster competition
and encourage providers to deliver improving service
3. The information provided consumers should be clear, simple, and
verifiable
4. There is a considerable difference between advertised “up to” and
“actual” performance
5. There are a number of factors that determine network
performance
6. Service providers cannot control every aspect of network
performance (e.g., end-user hardware)
22
Applications
and ContentBroadband Transparency Initiative
Framework
: Consumers should have better information about actualperformance of different services to incent competition and improved
performance. Options under consideration include:
- A measurement system that allows consumers to see the difference
between average and advertised speeds
- A speedtest application that leverages speedtests available in the
market so that consumers and the FCC can develop a more complete
view of fixed network performance as experienced by users
- A ratings system so consumers or property owners can see the relative
performance of broadband in their facility
- In partnership with NTIA, a National Broadband Map that provides a
clearinghouse of broadband data that is searchable, and open to direct
consumer feedback on their connection and options available in their
local area
23
Tribal Lands
Tribal Lands Guiding Principles1. Native American tribes are sovereign governments with distinct
political and Tribal structures
2. As such, tribes have a special relationship with the federal
government based on the premise of government-to-government
interaction
3. Both deployment and adoption of broadband on Tribal lands is
dramatically worse than elsewhere in the US
4. Tribal lands tend to be more rural and remote than other regions
of the country, and thus more costly to serve
5. Each Tribal situation is unique
24
Tribal Lands
Tribal LandsFramework
: Recommendations for Tribal lands in the broadband planshould address future data gathering, deployment, adoption, national
purposes and coordination/governance topics. Options under
consideration include:
- Tribal-specific data gathering effort for both deployment and adoption
- Deployment to key “anchor institutions” in Tribal lands as a way to
reach broader population
- Continuing to facilitate Tribal participation in USF
- Coordinating with other Plan recommendations that intersect with
Tribal issues (e.g., education, health care)
- Creating a joint Federal-Tribal broadband working group to identify
ways to remove barriers to deployment and adoption on Tribal lands
25
Adoption and
Utilization
Adoption and Utilization Guiding Principles1. “Adoption” means ability to access and use broadband
delivered at the home, or to the individual
2. “Utilization” relates to intensity of use
3. Adoption is increasing overall, but many segments are lagging
significantly and a utilization gap exists even among adopters
4. Key barriers to adoption are affordability, skills, relevance, and
accessibility
5. Policy should be designed to further existing local efforts, by
bringing vision, research, support and resources
6. The private sector has a stake in increasing adoption rates, and
public-private partnerships can be effective models for reaching
non-adopters
7. Federal leadership and resources must play a role in closing the
adoption gap
26
Adoption and
Utilization
Adoption EffortsFramework
: Focus on specific circumstances of non-adopter communitiesand individuals, but with the benefit of national support. Options under
consideration include:
- An independent foundation to focus on adoption:
8Support ongoing research and analysis of innovative adoption efforts
8Facilitate sharing of ideas and “tool-kits”
8Help bring scale to innovative and successful local efforts
- Large-scale public/private partnerships that deliver comprehensive
solutions to non-adopters via existing channels to reach them
- A tax deduction for employers who pay for devices and connectivity for
low-income, non-adopter employees
- Developing digital literacy standards and enhancing digital literacy
support
27
Adoption and
Utilization
Accessibility Guiding Principles1. 54 million Americans have some sort of disability, including
speech, hearing, vision, mobility, and cognitive disabilities
2. Preliminary FCC survey data suggests that of those with
disabilities, only 42% have adopted broadband
3. People with disabilities face the same barriers to adoption that
other Americans face (affordability, relevance, skills)
4. In addition, people with disabilities face their own unique barriers:
- High cost of assistive technologies
- Lack of consideration of accessibility in product development phase
- Limited accessibility of web content
- Lack of accessible services
28
Adoption and
Utilization
AccessibilityFramework
: Solutions for people with disabilities need to be included inbroader programmatic efforts, such as those addressing digital literacy,
hardware availability, and others. In addition, specialized, tailored
solutions are required. Options under consideration include:
- Promoting the availability of innovative mainstream devices and
components that have built-in accessibility features and standardized
interfaces that allow for interoperability between information
technology and assistive technology (AT)
- Promoting affordable and innovative AT options and ensuring that
people with disabilities are aware of these options
- Promoting the accessibility of web content, including video
programming
- Promoting innovative and accessible services and ensuring that
network features and functions do not thwart accessibility
- Promoting best practices in training and customer support for product
use
29
National Purposes Guiding Principles
1. Broadband is part of the solution to the nation’s greatest
challenges
2. Different institutions require different levels of connectivity, so
do different functions/applications
3. Connectivity alone is not sufficient to further national purposes;
the ecosystem matters
4. Aligned incentives are necessary to drive innovation and
motivate adoption of broadband and applications that further
national purposes
30
Overview and proposed framework to address key gaps
Gaps and Issues
Framework
• Connectivity gap at many health 1. Redesign Rural Health Care Pilot Programcare facilities
Health
• Adoption gap for health IT (e.g. 2. Modify rules and regulations to promote newelectronic health care records
uses of technology to lower costs and improve
and telemedicine)
quality of care
3. Make investment in federal provider networks
to ensure patients and taxpayers can reap
benefits
• Data utilization gap
4. Unlock health applications through use of data
• Adoption and application usage
1. Upgrade E-Rate
Education
gap• Personalized learning gap
2. Enable the creation and distribution of digital
content
• Delivery and supplemental tool
3. Enable the development and adoption of
gap
online learning opportunities
• Transparency and
4. Foster interoperability and transparency
interoperability gap
• Data utilization gap
5. Unlock education applications through use of
data
31
Overview and proposed framework to address key gaps
Gaps and Issues
Framework
• Small business adoption and1. More effective support of small and medium
Economic
application usage gapenterprises utilizing broadband
Opportunity
• Access to job training and2. Transform job training and placement
placement opportunities gap
• Economic development gap
3. Enable local and regional economic
development via strategies that integrate
broadband
• Smart grid connectivity gap
1. Bring “industrial broadband” to the smart grid
Energy
• Data accessibility gap2. Unlock the energy information economy
• Smart transportation gap
3. Accelerate transportation communication
applications
• Environmental impact of
4. Upgrade ICT infrastructure
broadband
32
Overview and proposed framework to address key gaps
Gaps and Issues
Framework
• Leadership and innovation gap1. Increase innovation inside government
Government
Performance
• Service delivery gap2. Improve service delivery to citizens
& Civic
Engagement
• Efficiency and performance gap 3. Identify tools to drive improved governmentperformance
• Civic engagement gap
4. Transform how citizens engage in their
democracy
• Data utilization gap
5. Unlock government operations through use of
data
Public
• Network interoperability gap1. Nationwide interoperable broadband wireless
Safety
communications network• Next Generation 911 gap
2. Develop Next Generation 911 system
• Alerting system gap
3. Develop comprehensive Next Generation alert
system
• Critical infrastructure
4. Enhance security measures to protect critical
protection gap
infrastructure
33
Public Safety
Goals
: Improve first responder access to broadband, leverage broadband to improvetheir communications with the public, and ensure that broadband networks are
sound and secure, on a day-to-day basis and during emergencies. Options under
consideration include:
1
2
3
Public
4Next
5Safety
Generation
Alerting
Critical
Emergency
Network
Infrastructure
911Preparedness
Create a
Accelerate
Begin development
nationwideEnhance measures to
development of aPromote effective
of a comprehensiveinteroperable
protect critical
Next Generation
emergencynext-generation
broadband wireless
infrastructure
9-1-1 system
response
alert system
communications
network
• Create an Emergency
• GAO should
• Initiate an inquiry
• Establish a voluntary
•Promote use of
Response
analyze costs and
into a comprehensive cyber security
broadband satellite
Interoperability Center
appropriate
Next Generation
certification regime
service in emergency
to set interoperability
Congressional
alerting system
response
and governance
• Create a cyber security
appropriations
procedures and
• Clarify agency roles
information reporting
• Preserve broadband
standards
• Congress should
associated with
system
communications
enact a federal
implementation and
• Survey state and local
• Improve infrastructure during emergencies
framework
maintenance of Next
public safety broadband
survivability
Generation alerting
infrastructure and
• Examine extending
equipment
location
• Ensure adequate
information to
funding for coverage
broadband
and resiliency
34
Steps Ahead
January
• Report on opportunities to
Commission Meeting
drive national purposes
February
Commission Meeting
• Report on completed plan
35
Note: We are currently transitioning our documents into web compatible formats for easier reading. We have done our best to supply this content to you in a presentable form, but there may be some formatting issues while we improve the technology. The original version of the document is available as a PDF, Word Document, or as plain text.
