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UPDATE 1-US FCC broadband plan includes more auction power
2:29 pm ET 03/15/2010- Reuters

* FCC seeking power to auction broadcasters' spectrum
* Unwilling broadcasters may be forced to give up spectrum

WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission on Monday released a set of goals to modernize high-speed Internet access for Americans, including plans to free up more airwaves for mobile services.

The plan aims to have have 100 million American households get Internet speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) by 2020, compared with the current average speed of less than 4 Mbps.

In the report called "Connecting America: The National Broadband Plan," the agency says it is seeking expanded authority to hold auctions that would provide incentives for broadcasters to give up some of their airwaves for purchase by wireless companies.

The FCC said it would leave open the possibility of taking action if broadcasters do not voluntarily give up spectrum.

The broadband plan of over 350 pages was released ahead of a meeting by the FCC on Tuesday, where the five commissioners are due to vote on issuing a summary of the plan.

Congress, which asked the FCC to make recommendations on the status of broadband in the United States, will be formally presented with the plan on Tuesday, the FCC said. (Reporting by John Poirier; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

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FCC unveiling sweeping national broadband plan
Challenges await Federal Communications Commission's national broadband plan

Joelle Tessler, AP Technology Writer, On Monday March 15, 2010, 12:19 pm EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Communications regulators are unveiling a
sweeping proposal to overhaul U.S. broadband policy. Their aim: to bring affordable, high-speed Internet connections to all Americans and make access much faster for people who already have broadband.

Yet it's not certain the Federal Communications Commission can find the funding, corporate support and legal clearance to carry out the entire vision of the plan.

Already, broadcasters oppose one key element of the proposal, which calls for reclaiming some airwaves now in the hands of TV stations and instead selling those frequencies to companies that deliver wireless Internet access. And the FCC hopes to modernize the federal program that subsidizes telephone service in poor and rural areas -- something that Congress and federal regulators have been trying to do for years.

The FCC plan, mandated by last year's stimulus bill and being delivered to Congress on Tuesday, lays out an ambitious vision for wiring the entire country with broadband. It reflects the Obama administration's position that high-speed Internet access is no longer just a luxury but is critical for economic development, education and health care.

"To me, broadband is an infrastructure challenge that's very akin to what we've faced in the past with telephones and electricity," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said in an interview with The Associated Press. Genachowski has made the national broadband plan his top priority, and his legacy at the commission will be linked closely to the plan's success or failure.

The proposal sets a goal of connecting 100 million U.S. households to broadband connections of 100 megabits per second -- at least 20 times faster than most home connections now -- by 2020.

The plan also calls for every American community to have at least one anchor institution, such as a school, library or hospital, that has ultra-high-speed Internet access -- at least a gigabit per second, or 10 times faster than the 100 megabits per second envisioned for home connections.

In addition, the plan is designed to encourage more people to subscribe to broadband. About two-thirds of U.S. households have high-speed Internet access now. Many people in the other one-third could get broadband but choose not to buy it, either because they think it's too expensive or because they don't see a need for it. The FCC plan calls for increasing adoption rates to more than 90 percent of the population.Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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