FCC Outlines Upcoming Broadband Activities and Schedule at Public Meeting

After opening remarks from new Chairman Genachowski and Commissioner Copps, the FCC outlined its schedule and process for the creation of a National Broadband Plan by February 17, 2010, as mandated by Congress. The process will involve all Bureaus within the agency and will start with a series of workshops on 21 topics to be held starting August 12 and ending September 3. The FCC also launched a new website, www​.broad​band​.gov, to make information about the process available to the public. That website will give the list of specific workshop topics and dates. For those interested in participating or monitoring the workshops, the FCC promised to post the names of the staff coordinators by July 16, the final list of topics by July 23, and the list of formal participants by August 5. After the workshops have been completed on September 3, the FCC will accept public comments about matters addressed in the workshops until September 11. Following that hectic schedule, the FCC expects to provide a formal response to the GAO by December 8, 2009, issue its Section 706” Report by February 3, 2010, and then its final National Broadband Plan by February 17, 2010 (as the statute requires). The agency also indicated that it expects the Broadband Mapping project to be done by February 17, 2010 as well, since the mapping is important to the final Plan.

Click here for the full FCC Commission Meeting - The FCC and Broadband: The Next 230 Days.