Slashdot Mirror


Obama Unveils Plan To Bring About Faster Internet In the US

An anonymous reader writes: President Obama is rolling out a new plan to boost the speed of internet connections throughout the U.S. For one, he'll be asking the FCC for assistance in neutralizing state laws (PDF) that prevent cities from building municipal broadband services. "At speeds of 4 Mbps or less, 75 percent of consumers have a choice between two or more fixed providers, and 15 percent can select among three or more ISPs. However, in the market for Internet service that can deliver 25 Mbps downstream—the speed increasingly recognized as a baseline to get the full benefits of Internet access—three out of four Americans do not have a choice between providers." The state laws laws restrict competition and give the major ISPs no incentive to invest and innovate.

Obama will also be directing other federal agencies to increase the amount of money they grant and loan to ISP-related projects. "Any effort by the FCC to preempt anti-muni-broadband laws will likely focus on a controversial part of the FCC's congressional charter known as "Section 706." That part of the law recognizes the FCC's authority to stimulate broadband deployment, which supporters of preemption argue the tactic would promote. If Section 706 sounds familiar, that's because it's also the legal tool some say should be used to promote net neutrality, or the principle that broadband companies shouldn't speed up or slow down some Web sites over others."

2 of 417 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Obama: please stop helping us! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    You sure you don't work for comcast? If you don't I'm sure they'd be willing to pay you to shill for them.

  2. Re:About time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Yeah because Obama totally started the Iraq War... Stupid Fucktard, go back to the rock you were hiding under. Obamacare, Which is correctly called ACA, it suppose to help people that have been screwed over by companies that keep hours low enough to not have to offer insurance. Or people that are contractors for large IT companies, who get shit benefits for three times the cost. I am all for less laws and smaller government, but there has to be a minimum standard to be upheld. Such as doctors making 150k a year should not be able to default on student loans... etc..... This suggestion by Obama is good and I hope it goes through. Maybe then Crapcast and MaHoBell will get some decent internet and speeds....