NEWS Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, D. C. 20554 This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974). News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: July 30, 2009 Mark Wigfield, 202-418-0253 Email: mark.wigfield@fcc.gov Jen Howard, 202-418-0506 Email: jen.howard@fcc.gov CHAIRMAN GENACHOWSKI ANNOUNCES TOPICS TO FOCUS DISCUSSION AT WORKSHOPS FOR NATIONAL BROADBAND PLAN Washington, D.C. –A detailed list of topics for upcoming Commission staff workshops for the development of a National Broadband Plan has been posted at www.broadband.gov . “Broadband is our generation’s major infrastructure challenge. It’s critical that all stakeholders provide the Commission with the information it needs to develop a National Broadband Plan that will spur innovation, promote competition, create jobs, and bring the powerful benefits of broadband to all Americans,” said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. “The effort to focus dialogue on specific topics in an open, participatory format is one of the many ways the Commission is trying to develop a comprehensive and meaningful record for the development of the Plan.” The public is invited to use the web site to suggest additional topics or revisions to those now slated for discussion at the workshops, which begin on August 6 and run through Sept. 3. The public is also invited to suggest questions for the workshops. Specific topics for each issue that will be explored at the workshops can be accessed by clicking on the “workshops” tab of the web site, and then clicking on the hyperlink text for each issue. The public is encouraged to register for the workshops, and those who register will get updates on any schedule and topic changes that may occur. First announced earlier this month, the staff workshops will provide a way to promote an open dialogue between the FCC and key constituents on matters important to the National Broadband Plan. The workshops are open to the public at the Commission’s headquarters building and online. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which was signed into law on February 17, 2009, directed the FCC to submit a National Broadband Plan to Congress by February 16, 2010 that “shall seek to ensure that all people of the United States have access to broadband capability and shall establish benchmarks for meeting that goal.” . -FCC- News about the Federal Communications Commission can also be found on the Commission’s web site www.fcc.gov.