On March 16, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released its National Broadband Plan, mandated by the Recovery Act. The 360-page plan includes about 200 recommendations, including reforming the Universal Service Fund (USF) to support broadband deployment. The plan proposes a ten-year, three-stage effort to reform the USF by redirecting $15.5 billion from the High-Cost program to a new Connect America Fund, and recommends a $3 billion per year appropriation for three years to expedite the transition of the USF to broadband activities. Another reform recommendation includes phasing out per-minute charges for intercarrier compensation.
Specific to public safety communications, the plan proposes to create a nationwide public safety broadband network by re-auctioning the 700 MHz D block for shared commercial and public safety use. An Emergency Response Interoperability Center (ERIC) will be established to ensure that technical requirements, applications and devices for use on the network are interoperable before construction of the network begins. A grant program is also proposed to support local efforts to deploy and maintain the nationwide public safety broadband network. The plan also includes a number of recommendations regarding cyber security and 911 systems. To facilitate the transition to Next Generation 911 (NG911), which will add new capabilities such as texting, photos, video and email, the FCC recommends Congress establish a federal regulatory framework that would preempt state regulations to require the removal of roadblocks to NG911 deployment. The plan also recommends Congress take steps to curtail state and local diversion of 911 fees for purposes other than 911.
Recommendations covering “national priority” policies include ensuring sufficient broadband connections to health care delivery locations by creating a Health Care Broadband Access Fund and Health Care Broadband Infrastructure Fund from the existing Internet Access Fund, modernization of broadband infrastructure in schools and libraries through changes in the E-rate program, providing consumers access to their digital energy information and developing public-private partnerships to provide technology training and tools for small-and medium-sized businesses. Other recommendations of interest to states include creating a Mobility Fund to provide one-time support for states to deploy 3G wireless networks, amending the Communications Act of 1934 to establish a "harmonized" infrastructure access policy for poles and rights of way to expedite broadband deployment, conditioning federal surface transportation funding to state actions allowing joint deployment of conduits, and developing interagency principles on privacy and consumer consent to govern information-sharing by broadband service providers with third parties.