FCC’s Genachowski outlines plan for universal 100 Mb/s deployment

As the telecom industry awaits the National Broadband Plan due from the Federal Communications Commission next month, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski yesterday offered a hint of what the plan might contain—including an ambitious “100 Squared” initiative to achieve 100 Mb/s usage by 100 million households. Based on U.S. Census Data, that’s more than 90% of households in the U.S. today.

In an address to the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners on Friday, Genachowski did not provide a timeline for meeting this goal but he did call it the FCC’s “2020 vision.”

“The National Broadband Plan will set goals that are ambitious but achievable,” Genachowski said. “It will describe a 2020 vision for U.S. broadband leadership grounded in two quintessentially American ideas—unsurpassed excellence and unrivaled opportunity.”

He also foretold a “once-in-a-generation transformation of the Universal Service Fund—cutting waste, driving efficiencies and converting it over time to broadband support so that all Americans can enjoy the benefits of 21st century communications networks.”

The plan is especially ambitious, not only because of the high data rate targeted, but also because it clearly targets all households, not just public computing centers or other “middle mile” locations and not just urban areas. And as Genachowski noted, about 14 million Americans currently have no access at all to broadband.

The 100 Squared goal also implies much higher take rates for broadband services once they are available. As Genachowski noted in an apparent reference to broadband data released yesterday from the census bureau, only about 65% of U.S. households currently subscribe to broadband services, even though it’s available to a much larger percentage of households.

Other than the reference to Universal Service, Genachowski offered only a few hints of how the 100 Squared goal would be accomplished. He referred to potential “public/private partnerships to increase Internet adoption and ensure that all children can use the Internet proficiently and safely.” He also made intriguing references to “lowering the cost of broadband build-out (wired and wireless) through the smart use of government rights of way” and freeing up “a significant amount of spectrum in the years ahead for ample licensed and unlicensed use.”

Genachowski also outlined some other recommendations he said would be in the plan that could add to the already high price tag of widely deploying 100 Mb/s service. These included improving the E-Rate program that supports connectivity to schools and libraries, modernizing the rural telemedicine program, accelerating smart grid deployment, and creating an interoperable public safety network to replace the current broken system.