FCC’s national broadband plan: Inquiry process begins

The FCC has issued a Notice of Inquirymon developing a national broadband plan as required by Congress.

The NOI seeks comment on how to achieve universal access, how to achieve affordable and efficient infrastructure, how to use broadband to enhance consumers’ lives, health and education, and what the current state of broadband is nationally.

This is the first required step in the process of developing an FCC order. The next step, which is not likely to come in 2009, is a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), which is followed by an FCC Order. We believe an Order might come late in 2010 at the earliest, but there will be considerable jockeying in the intervening period.