Comm Daily Notebook

FCC should use the plan as its own standard in terms of its decision-making and rulemaking process, he said. It’s also up to Congress, and to the groups involved, to create support for the Congressional changes needed, he said. The private sector as well as end users also need to step up, he said. Meanwhile, the Universal Service Fund revamp, a critical part of the plan, should shift the focus from voice to help provide incentives for broadband service deployments, Cohen said, saying it’s important to set and benchmark specific speed goals. On the wireless side, the CWA is cautious about the “Mobile Future Auction” provision. Wireless speeds deteriorate with use so the more users at a given cell site, the lower the speed is, he said. Additionally, on the broadcast side, robust content and network are critical elements of the Internet, he said, regarding the proposal that calls for a spectrum auction that allows current licensees, including broadcasters, to voluntarily give up spectrum in exchange for a share of auction proceeds. This provision, which has drawn the ire of the National Association of Broadcasters, is one element of a plan to free up 500 MHz of spectrum over the next decade for mobile broadband use. The FCC has been revealing some details of the plan. Among them are the 100 squared proposal to bring 100 Mbps bandwidth capabilities to 100 million homes by 2020. Broadband speed matters, Cohen said. “The Americans need to be shocked” to understand how the country lags behind in broadband speeds and adoption, he said.