Broadband.gov Best Practices/Big Ideas

Want to know why high speed Internet service is so expensive in the US compared to the rest of the world? Or why many ISPs must throttle, ration, and/or cap bandwidth usage to avoid being unprofitable? Many, if not most, American citizens do not realize that it's because the wholesale costs which providers themselves must pay are needlessly high. Because the FCC has not yet acted on the issue of "special access" pricing, ...more »

At minimum the public should receive three weeks advanced notice on any FCC public hearing. This is the least the FCC can do to fulfill its commitment to transparency and public participation in creating the National Broadband Plan.

Support a broadband initative that allows internet users the unrestricted ability to access any legal content through any protocol desired

Broadband must be truly two way fast. Upload and download. In order for the technology to grow the bar must be set high. And companies must be forced to stop making claims that are false when it comes to speeds. For example the term "up to" claims should be actual and tied to peak usage numbers. Also two way high speed is needed, companies that offer a high download speed but and extremely low upload speed do their customers ...more »

This site, broadband.ideascale.com, is an official link from the FCC's broadband.gov site and has been announced as an official FCC website. However, it does not have any link to a privacy policy. Moreover, it is asking commenters and topic starters to include an email address or open an account. If the user supplies this personal information, it is not displayed on the main page, but part or all of it is accessible ...more »

Abolish mobile phone texting price gouging! The cost to handle the data transfer of a few characters from phone to phone is minimal in comparison to voice. It must end!

Based on the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the Cable v. Brand X Supreme Court case, cable providers are classified as "Information" while telecom services (like AT&T) are classified as "Telecommunications," thus subjecting each to very different sets of regulations. As offerings by the varying service providers homogenize (internet, phone, television, mobile data, etc), traditionally classified telcos are heavily ...more »

Network neutrality rules need to apply equally to the backbone and backhaul networks as to consumer facing ISPs. Otherwise, AT&T or Verizon will just move their funny business to their backbone network operations.

This "big idea"/"best practice" actually originated with the FCC's own Chairman. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski stated at the Congressional hearing on Thursday that the FCC should allow competition to solve problems whenever possible, and regulate only if there is market failure. The FCC should, for example, regulate the pricing of "special access" lines, because the ILECs are using high prices for these lines to cripple ...more »

Stop the monopoly that cable and broadband providers currently have. Allow honest competition.

There are several AmeriCorps National Service projects that already concentrate on capacity building or direct service instruction to increase digital literacy in low-income communities in the United States (www.technologypower.org, www.transmissionproject.org).

These programs can be expanded or used to model other community-based technology instruction programs across the United States.

They were going to run glass to every doorstep 'by 2000' back in the 1990's. The big telecomm companies accepted boatloads of tax money to build that infrastructure. THEY ELECTED NOT TO. The 'Telecommunication Act of 1996' built huge monopolies instead of encourage competition. Deregulation simply moved tax money into private hands, to be spent on whatever private hands like. Like stock bonuses and perks and 'instant ...more »

Can anyone explain why in the world fiber optic is so dang expensive?

Why aren't we putting research into finding ways to manufacture it CHEAPER???

The gas company doesn't charge me different amounts for gas used for heating my home versus cooking, do they? The electric utility can't change the rates on the power based on what people use it for, can they? That would be illegal. We need the same, simple law for digital bandwidth provided by anyone. People should be able to purchase bandwidth and afforded privacy for how we choose to use the bandwidth we purchase. ...more »

With unemployment at such a high rate and our desire to do great things--why don't we take a page from our own history and utilize the unemployed people in a new public works project to rewire the country...putting in those big beautify broadband pipes across the country, wiring the last mile throughout the towns that don't have internet, and making our electric grid 'smart'. This would teach those individuals valuable ...more »