FCC: National Broadband Plan will target 4 Mb/s to the home

The Federal Communications Commission today issued an executive summary of the National Broadband Plan, scheduled for release tomorrow morning, which provides some additional details about the plan, including some new lower cost estimates.

The Commission also revealed that it will use 4 Mb/s download speeds as the definition of broadband for the proposed Connect America Fund, which it proposes to replace today’s Universal Service high-cost fund.

The plan also will set a goal of providing every American community with affordable access to at least 1 Gb/s broadband service to anchor institutions such as schools, hospitals and government buildings, the executive summary said—although no details were provided about how that goal would be achieved.

As for costs, the executive summary cites a need for $6.5 billion in capital expenditures over 10 years to support a previously proposed public safety mobile broadband network. That’s substantially lower than the $12 to $16 billion cost for that network recently reported in the Wall Street Journal, which in turn, was lower than the $16 to $18 billion estimate the FCC had previously provided.

The executive summary also noted that the plan’s goal of freeing 500 megahertz of spectrum for future wireless auctions should cause the overall impact of the plan to be revenue-neutral, if not revenue-positive.

The FCC previously said it could achieve its Universal Service reforms without a need for additional funding but that those goals could be achieved more quickly if Congress were to make an additional $3 billion available per year for three years.

Instead of a specific nine billion dollars, the nice-to-have-but-not-essential number has now been revised to “a few billion dollars per year over two to three years.”

One element that would help minimize the need for Congressional funding for Universal Service is a recommendation in the executive summary to broaden the contribution base to the USF. Although no details were provided, this may mean the FCC will call for Internet service providers or VOIP providers to pay into the Universal Service Fund.

Another new element of the National Broadband Plan unveiled in the executive summary is a recommendation to enhance competition by expediting action on data roaming. Although details were not provided, the wording suggests the FCC may set stricter requirements for wireless data roaming—a move requested by small wireless carriers.