A View from the US Recent Developments in Washington Outlook for 2010 The Honorable Meredith Attwell Baker Federal Communications Commissioner ECTA Regulatory Conference 2009 8 December 2009 Brussels, Belgium 2 Thoughts from Washington •The New Federal Communications Commission •The National Broadband Plan •Other Work - Net Neutrality - The Need for Spectrum - Regulatory Action •Questions 3 New Federal Communications Commission •Commission includes 3 members of President’s party and 2 members of the opposition— appointed by the President and confirmed by the US Senate •Chairman Genachowski sets the agenda •Most issues decided by unanimous vote (over 90%) •Tough issues resolved through collaborative process 4 My Regulatory Philosophy -Consumers benefit most from continued investment, innovation, and competition -Competition regulates market behavior more efficiently than government -Don’t solve problems that don’t exist -Incentives do matter 8Regulatory actions taken—or not taken—affect markets 5 Broadband Activities to Date •President Bush established the goal: - Universal affordable broadband should be available to all Americans by 2007 •Economic, regulatory and technology policies created environment for broadband deployment - Tax Incentives - Reduced Regulation - New Technologies Enabled 8UWB 8BPL - More spectrum 6 The National Broadband Plan •Congressional mandate to develop a National Broadband Plan that shall: “[e]nsure that all people of the United States have access to broadband capability and . . . establish benchmarks for meeting that goal” •Includes Analysis of National Purposes Impacted by Broadband - Education, Energy, Environment, Healthcare, Public Safety, Civic Purposes 7 The Process •Be Open - Transparent - Inclusive - Participatory •Be Data Driven •Produce a Plan by Feb 17, 2010 8 Process Innovations Firsts: • Use of public workshops over broad range of issues • Use of public multimedia to open up process • Testimony via telepresence • Dedicated webpage for policy initiative • FCC Blog • FCC Tweet • Use of idea rankings for public input • Use of academic institutions for focused data gathering 9 Representative Workshops • eGov/Civic Participation • Deployment - Wired - Wireless - Unserved/Underserved • Technology - Fixed Broadband - Wireless • International Lessons • Small and Disadvantaged Business • Adoption (3 Workshops) • Individuals with Disabilities • Education • Public Safety and Homeland Security • Smart Grid, Broadband, and Climate Change • Economic Growth, Job Creation, and Private Investment • Job Training • Applications and Devices • State and Local Governments • Benchmarks • Big Ideas/Best Practices • Broadband Consumer Experience 10 Some Insights •The US is already a “broadband” nation - 92% of Americans have access to broadband - 63% of Americans subscribe; but •More needs to be done-especially on adoption - Different reasons for different people - Commission could promote adoption through education •All ideas should be on the table - Competitive and technologically neutral - Set economic climate incentives to build out faster - Reward innovation, investment and encourage competition– not industrial policy - Spectrum policy unleashes the value of the public airwaves - Update government subsidy programs 11 Next Steps •Synthesizing all gathered information into an appropriate action plan that meets the goals and objectives of the statute and the practical realities of the Commission •Addressing all the issues that will inevitably be raised in the broadband plan in order to modernize our policies for the broadband era •The national broadband plan will be a beginning, not an end 12 Net Neutrality-What We Are Doing • Recent action kicks off a public, data-driven process to preserve the free and open Internet - Process will include a look at innovation, investment, competition and consumer interests • Proposing to codify a version of 2005 principles for wired Internet entitling consumers to: - access the lawful Internet content of their choice - run applications and use services of their choice, subject to the needs of law enforcement - connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network - competition among network providers, application and service providers, and content providers 13 Net Neutrality-Additional Steps •Consensus must be reasonable network management •Looking at exemption of “managed services” •Extending coverage to wireless broadband - How, when, and to what extent up will be examined closely •Increasing transparency •Many open questions; but broad consensus for Open Internet and free flow of lawful content 14 The Need for Spectrum •The US has over 500MHz allocated to mobile broadband •Some new spectrum coming on line with 3G and 4G services - (700MHz, 1710-1755/2110-2155MHz, 2495-2690MHz) •Growth of broadband devices (netbooks, iPhones, Blackberries & Droids) will over time drive a need for hundreds more MHz of new spectrum - 270 million mobile users - 15% use mobile broadband today; but - 93% of 18-29 year olds go online wirelessly - 130% year over year data increase projected in near term 15 Suggested Spectrum Approach •Establish New Spectrum Management Framework - Conduct Inventory - Identify new bands - International coordination •Leverage Existing Spectrum Resources • User-friendly database • Improve secondary markets • Spectrum sharing/interference trading •Encourage Investment and Promote Innovation • Cognitive Radios/SDRs • Smart Antennas • Research and Development 16 Anticipated Action in 2010 •Spectrum Issues •Broadband Issues •Universal Service Reform •Special Access •Media Ownership-Comcast/NBC A View from the US Recent Developments in Washington Outlook for 2010 The Honorable Meredith Attwell Baker Federal Communications Commissioner ECTA Regulatory Conference 2009 8 December 2009 Brussels, Belgium