>> would he continue to give himself as always to the task to the brits him and victory and peace? >> mr. speaker, i think the whole house will want to pay tribute to the right honorable

member for a long and distinguished career, not just in this house but in representation and a number of forums, including holding the position of first minister of northern ireland. and i believe that the part he played in bringing the union commuter together and bring the whole commute together in northern ireland to ensure that we had power and to ensure that we have now completed the process of power is one that will adorn the history books in many decades and centuries to come. so i think, mr. speaker, on this day and on this occasion, i want the whole house to thank him for his service to this house and to the whole community. >> thank you, mr. speaker, does my right of a friend agree with me that no member of this house or the other place should seek to censor the bbc or the independent newspaper from questioning the involvement of lord ashcroft and the alleged

corruption scandals? [shouting] >> mr. speaker, they don't like hearing the name lord ashcroft, but he is deputy chairman of the conservative party. [shouting] >> and the british house of commons is in recess until easter. you can find a video archive of past prime ministers questions and links to the house of commons and prime ministers websites. >> up next on c-span, a house hearing on broadband expansion and then a discussion on board

spending by secretary clinton and secretary gates. after that, q&a with david martin. >> monday, a discussion on reaction to the federal communications commission the just released a national broadbent plan. that is on c-span2. now, members of the federal communications committee testified about plans for broadbent. the fcc wants to connect 100 million households lacking broadband today. the plan is part of an economic stimulus package that passed last february. rick d trend in the

telecommunications sector is for development of advanced technologies and increased competition. deregulation has successfully promoted investment, innovation, and more competition, benefiting consumers. 95% of americans now have broadband and more than one choice of carrier. that statistic, along with more than $100 billion recently invested in infrastructure, speaks for itself. as mr. barton said, if it ain't broken, don't fix it. if it works, let's not break it. it is clear that as the level of competition increases the amount of regulation should decrease. i hope we all can agree that markets have done a better job of protecting consumers than the regulators do. in a competitive market, which should permit market forces to work and not interpose government regulations between providers and consumers. all that does is impede the competition we all want to see.

i applaud your goal of providing 100 million homes with access to 100 megabytes per second broadband by 2020. i believe we can do that without regulation. the level of deployment will only come with a continued robust investment by the private sector. i would agree with the chairman dingell that the fcc requirement on carriers to unbundle their fiber will not be met by this legislative body. do not change the rules after investments have been made. do not put up roadblocks to new investment. finally, i have concerns about spectrum proposals that could cause harm to consumers and broadcasters as a result of the digital transmission. broadcasters return over 100 megahertz to the government and at the same time increase their services.

i yield back my time. >> the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized for two minutes. >> thank you very much. congratulations to the federal communications commission. when i put the language in the stimulus package mandating that the federal communications commission had to return this as a report back to the american people on the future of broadband, just 30 months ago, i can tell you right now that you met the highest expectations i had when i answer to that language into the law. the table of contents is just an indication of how thoroughly you have examined this subject -- health care, education, energy, the environment, economic opportunity, government performance, civic engagement, public safety. this is as thorough a

compendium of the issues that we have to work on in order to make sure that america once again regains its position as no. 1 in the world in broadband as could ever be asked to be put together. we have dropped from second to 15th in the world, behind luxembourg, behind canada, finland, over the last eight years. with the company's going to court, going to the fcc, chipping away at the competitive rules we had put on the books. as that happened, we saw the united states slipped step-by- step into a position where the rest of the world looks at us over their shoulder. this gives us the opportunity with this plan to once again regain that leadership. google, ebay, amazon, hulu --

we have been slowly slipping behind. this is an incredible plan. if it is fully implemented, both investment and consumer protection will be unleashed in a way which will guarantee that the american people will be the country that the rest of the world looks to with envy. we thank you for that. we want to work with you to insure that it is fully implemented so that we can regain a competitive edge that gave us that incredible position that we enjoyed and that has slipped from our grasp. we thank you for holding this meeting. >> the gentleman from illinois is recommended -- is recognized. >> i am glad i followed my friends from massachusetts. as far as i know, this is a product of the chairman, not a product of the commission. there was no vote on this plan.

i think we're going to hear that through the questions today, not that the chairman did not put a lot of time and effort into this. i want to debunk this 16th place. you have to be joking me. lichtenstein, monaco bahrain, south korea, iceland, singapore, st. kitts? everyone in the top 20 -- we can fit the 25 in the continental united states. we have to get off comparing as -- comparing apples to oranges. it is like saying the city of new york has it and so we are fine. we have 95% of our people on broadband. 5% do not. they are in my district. the stimulus fund is not going to them. that is what works people up. 95% of us have it. it is the private sector that

throws it out. we want to take over another sixth of the economy through moving this whole information age from title i to title ii? we're not going to get a surprise from the chairman this time because it is here. some commentators have suggested a second approach in which the fcc would implement certain plan recommendations under its title ii authority. let us have this hearing. let us have this debate. the system is working. what is not working is in rural america. we spend billions of dollars and the money is not going there. we have the stimulus rollout. we are overbuilding places that have broadband right now with our tax dollars, and it is not going where it is needed. i yield back. >> the lady from california is recommended -- is recognized. >> thank you for moving so

quickly to schedule this hearing, and welcome to the entire federal communications commission. i have read the plan. i want to congratulate you. i think it is a bold one. i think it is what our country needs. on this issue of where the united states is ranked in the world, according to the international telecommunications union, they have measured the united states. they say that we have slipped from 11th to 17th between 2002 and 2007. we know that our standing in the world is not a source of pride to us. pure than 27 out of every 100 americans have broadband service, compared with much better numbers in other countries. today, we are going to hear the plan. we're going to ask questions about it. i am very pleased that many of the priorities that i have kind

of pounded away on over the years are contained in the plan. it really reflects my own legislative agenda. i hope will move expeditiously on the broadband conduit bill, which will ensure that federally funded transportation projects require laying the broadband infrastructure so we do not have to dig up what we have already built in order to lay down what we know we need. i also look forward to the subcommittee fast tracking consideration of the next generation 911 builill that my colleague, in his fright about where we are or are not -- he would have mentioned this. we introduced the bill two weeks ago. i am ready to vote on a thorough and complete reconstruction of the universal service fund and its programs so that we essentially can leapfrog into the 21st century.

america has always led the world in countless ways. that is what i find so exciting about the plan. it is a road map, a plan of how we can get there. we also need to decide the future of telecommunications services and their individual classification so that we can ensure that consumers are properly protected and that competitiveness is encouraged. no matter who i me with, they are always for competition unless it cuts into the competition that they have a total hold on. we need an aggressive agenda because the united states lags badly. i look forward to hearing from each one of the commissioners. this is going to be a lively debate. at the end of it, i think what we all are -- our common goal must be competition, that every

person in the country is reached by 2020 with high speeds, not this lagging speed that somehow people have a source of pride about. i do not. i do not think it is good enough for our country. i look forward to working with everyone to accomplish this for our country. thank you for a job well done. it is broad, it is a visionary, and it is bold. i think it is exactly what we need to be talking about. >> the lady from california is recognized. >> good morning. i also would like to thank the sec for its hard work on the national broadband plan. it is clear that a great deal of effort and thought went into this effort. i see opportunities for the committee and commission to work together to increase investment and opportunity. in a general sense, i think the approach to universal service is promising. further, i believe most of us

agree the goals of the plan are admirable. who among us does not want to facilitate capital investment and increase constituent access and increase constituent access to bro members of congress also have goals. my goal is to support policy to create jobs for my constituents. therefore, i have to question a plan that calls for a heavier hand. a sector of our economy continues to attract capital investment. the high-tech sector is best served to enact policies in capital investment. -- additionally, -- the creators and owners of content should have the property protected by law and should we should reward

entities, not punish them. when i see sections that relax protections, i m become concerned. i would like to caution you on pursuing any agenda without legal authority. you can -- if you make decisions that increase uncertainty in the lawsuit and encourage legislation. i look forward to the question and answer portion and yield back the balance of a my time. >> mr. stupak is recognized. >> thank you for convening the hearing. welcome to the commission. the national broadband plan hits a number of important issues such as public safety interlock ability, transitioning the usf for broadband, and freeing of spectrum for commercial use. i want to focus on recommendations for the

interoperable public safety broadband network. the plan's recommendation identifies an issue of and highlighting for years -- the need for a funding plan for an interoperable public safety net work. the plan calls on congress to establish a grant program to establish the network and create a funding mechanism. if the fcc is moving forward with auctioning be d block spectrum, we should use 100% of the funds to build this not work. . .

>> i appreciate the hearing and i want to welcome the commission. we are so pleased that you are here. needless to say, we have all been following what you have done with it broadband plan and we are anxious to have a discussion with you. a couple of quick points these are the recommendations that will protect job creation. because of this, i am anxious to drill down deeper. you all know my district in tennessee.

if you know that we have a creative community there. this is the availability of brodhead. the chairman -- i wanted to hope for stronger but more often -- definitive language. instead, i have really found the language to be ambiguous and hopeful . be ambiguous and i am hopeful that we will see some changes. investment is a concern that i have. we all know that reclassification is nothing more than a stepping stone for implementing that neutrality which i believe would be detrimental to a thriving telecommunication industry. before i yield back, i also want to flag a concern over what i think is a toothless effort in

the plan to curb copyright infringement. i applaud your knowledge in -- your acknowledgment of illegal distribution of copyrighted content being a problem. i am anxious to get your thoughts on how we can put a little bit more heft behind that in continuing to protect the innovations of those who are burned in next generation technologies and uses and our creative community. >> thank you. the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. doyle, is recognized. >> thank you. i will be brief. i always thought that if you failed to plan, you plan to fail. looking over the broad baband p

lan, congratulations. you have passed. it is a bold plan of action and it gives us a few things to do. i will not run down a laundry list but i think the plan to promote competition is much needed and well received. competitors need access in order to deliver more affordable or innovative services. additionally, the plan for universal service fund reform is well thought out. i hope the commission takes this up as soon as possible even without a bill out of congress. chairman genachowski, you have a lot to be proud of. i want to congratulate you and your team. >> thank you. the gentleman from alabama is recognized for two minutes. >> thank you. i ask unanimous consent to submit my opening statement for the record. >> without objection. >> just a few comments. i never thought i would ever see

the fcc commission. i found an fm frequency and put it up for public notice in seven years later we got it on air. you can see that i am not pro- regulation. i do believe that the report is done with a good heart and with the american people in mind. i recognize that the competition that exists in the marketplace has accomplished a great deal and i hope that as we go through these hearings, i am sure the debate will be spirited, i hope we have in mind that there is not a lot that we can do to improve what has been done or in the spirit of what has been accomplished by private industry. i appreciate your being here and look forward to the discussion. thank you. >> thank you. the gentle lady from california

is recognized for two minutes. >> thank you. thank you for calling the hearing. i also would like to think chairman genachowski for being with us and for the work on the national broadband plan. they crafted a bold and visionary plan. no plan of this magnitude is perfect, this plan demonstrates american leadership and will serve as a blueprint for the world to follow. i am pleased that it aims to close the digital divide by recognizing the fact that millions of americans, particularly in such tough economic times, cannot afford the high cost of broadband. i introduced the broadband affordability act that would expand a program for universal broadband adoption. this would ensure that all americans living in urban and rural and suburban areas have access to affordable boucher

services. i applaud the fcc for adopting these suggestions. this is a major step toward closing the digital to buy it. a look forward to working with the fcc and my colleagues. this recognizes the importance of introducing more competition into the marketplace. this promotes competition in our economy. and the plan recognizes the critical role that brought a band placed in moving our nation today greater path of efficiency and energy independence. i plan to introduce legislation in the coming week that will complement many of the sec recommendations on smart grids

this nation can promote a smarter electric grid that allows consumers to make choices that can save energy and can save them money. i am looking forward to working with my colleagues and the commission on overseeing and implemented many of the important initiatives recommended in the national broadband plan. thank you for holding these important hearings. >> thank you. the gentleman from nebraska, mr. terry. >> thank you. thank you for being here. i appreciate your input. i felt the plan lays a good overview. it brought it from a nebulous 50,000 foot level down to a 10,000 foot level without getting into the granular activities or details which i think is good in the sense that it may signal that we actually have a role in congress.

you have done a good job in inc. different entities. congress needs to take your plan and use that as the recommendation but we need to do our job in congress. frankly, i am uncomfortable with just saying you take the lead on all of this stuff and we are not going to deal with that. i think the role as for us to do it and we take your plan as a recommendation. on the republican side, we have heard a lot about private sector involvement and i want to make sure that when i read the plan, there are some regulatory types of policies outlined in that we will have great debate within this committee on. let us not short the private sector. $60 billion per year by the private sector rolling out

broadband should not be lost faugh. . government spending and subsid ies are a small percentage. if we think government is going to be the answer, we are not going to get this plan adopted. with that, i will yield back. >> thank you. the gentleman from california is recognized for two minutes. >> i want to thank you note, mr. chairman, for having discontinued and timely hearing. i want to commend the commission for your hard work. this is a comprehensive plan. you have worked hard. if the plan clearly includes many important issues but i am only going to be able to focus on a couple of them. a large part of my district has been severely hit by the economic downturn and promoting

job creation is my highest priority. it is significant that many of the company's in the telecommunications industry are still expanding even during the economic downturn. i am very excited by the job growth potential that implementing this plan can produce and a vigorous investments by the private sector couple by sensible policy will clearly benefit our entire nation. finally, i would like to ask the commissioners to discuss briefly the issues pertaining to the spectrum allocation and special access. and with that, i yield back the balance of my time. >> thank you. but the gentleman from michigan is recognized for two minutes. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i hope we get to some result of where we are going. i think title ii

reclassification is dangerous, at best. this has put a shiver of cold into the investment community about where we are going with broadband development. we want to talk about what has made america great. it was not the u.s. congress or the executive branch. it was private entrepreneurs putting capital at risk and making things happen. the reason that we have 27% is because the private market will pursue a plan that allows ever turn on the investment so they can go to the next phase of that investment. any time that we seek to stand in the way of that, we are going to get a horrible outcome. the notion that we are talking about going to net neutrality and more regulation, if you look at why it took so long for wireless to get where it is in for phones to get where they are, if it is because they based

the original rules and regulations on the common carrier act for railroads in 1897. we applied that to telephones. this is exactly that same kind of iron horse regulatory idea on that industry that is changing so fast that we cannot keep up with it. @@@@@@@@@ @ @ @ @ br#@ @ @ @ @ r >> the reason that the other countries did that the way that they did is because they do not have economies like the united states. did they do not have the kind of investment that the united states does. there is a market place here that is attracting money. my fear is that if we continue down this path, we will stop that investment and i think we will do far more harm than good. i think that we can work on those things, but the very principle and idea that this is

uncertainty in the marketplace i think is dangerous to the competitive development of broadband. >> thank you, mr. rogers. the gentleman from connecticut, mr. murphy is recognized. . . . i understand that in the proposed rule making, the chairman stated it. clearly that the broadband

platform should not be a shield for violations of law and copyright infringement. but you can see on both sides of the aisle of dissatisfaction with the amount of focus that the country is losing billions of dollars every year through enact piracy. the solution large allies in the hands of those distribution networks that are going to take advantage of what is now partially federal unfunded broadband network. you're hearing from a number of people that we would like to have comments from the commission on how weak either revise the plan or add to the plan with respect to piracy, in order to guard righ, right. and i would agree with many of my colleagues that this is a

product a great labor and of great importance of the role broadband in this country. >> thank you very much, mr. murphy mr. blunt is recognized. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i have remorse for the record and in addition, i would like to say that from the comments i made another maids in our hearing on this last year, about on served purses under- served areas continued to trouble me as we go into defining what on served areas are -- unserved areas, because you complete a competitor in an area that can barely handle one provider. i am concerned by that and concerned by net neutrality as in this plan, that might lead to needless regulation.

i do believe that universal service reform and the spectrum planks of the new plan probably keep us away from the regulation if we focus on them than the others. thank you for holding this hearing and i hope that we become vigorous and active partners with the commission as you now look at the work product put before us and we do not make the kind of mistakes to slow down the great expansion that we have had in broadband over the last few years. and i yield back, mr. chairman. the gentleman from north carolina, mr. butterfield, is recognized for two minutes. >> thank you. i want to thank you for convening this hearing and for the commissioners coming to have this conversation that all of us. i have a copy of the plan. i have not read every word of it

but i certainly plan to. it is a very comprehensive plan and i want to thank you for your work. from what i can understand, 95% of households do indeed have access while 5% do not. my district is home to many of those households who are without very basic access to broadbent. there are everyday tasks moving on line and those who cannot access broadband third losing and i look forward to achieving a productive meeting. it is important that efforts are made to connect the unconnected first so that students, teachers, job-seekers and others have the opportunity to play on equal footing.

and my district is in no less need of high-speed internet and certainly no less deserving. the national broadband plan in the emirate's six long-term goals -- illustrates six long- term goals. they are achievable if the government proceeds responsibly and quickly. i would like to note the extraordinary private investments made to building the networks will use every day. as congress and the fcc move forward, it is important that we take that into account when drafting its policy around the goals of the plan. between 2006 and 2008, at&t invested more than $1.20 billion in my state of north carolina and an effort to enhance and improve our networks. increased regulations on companies that build these

network with -- networks with a profit daughters -- private dollars may not be the best way to implement this plan. we need to work in concert with private industry when drafting those policies. thank you for your indulgence. >> the gentle lady from colorado is recognized for two minutes. >> thank you. i will put my full statement in the record. i just want to mention a couple of things. i agree with my colleagues that this national broadband plan is a comprehensive and forward- looking document and i strongly share the goal. i want to raise just a couple of issues. the first one is cities like denver, which is my district, are often the first to get access to communication technologies but access alone is not alone. we have to remember as we go forward that broad band also has to be affordable for low-income

americans, many of whom live in urban areas like mine and have seen a real divide even though broadband is accessible. the second issue is the conflict with existing uses that we are going to have to resolve. the plan recommends allocating new spectrum to satisfy consumer demand for networks. this could provide important benefits but it also raises the question about how the significant transfer of spectrum can be accomplished in the most fair way. and this is one of the questions i hope we can explore today. i want to mention two other aspects of this plan that i am pleased to see. the first one is the emphasis on i.t. which will be important

as we move forward. we have seen this in my district with denver health how much health i.t. can help with patient efficiency. and i am pleased to see mention of expanding a national smart energy grid. i think that will be very important as we become independent from foreign oil and develop alternative energy. >> thank you. in the gentle lady from florida is ready -- is recognized for two minutes. >> thank you. you have given us a lot to consider and there are many competing interests. i think our overarching goal is to ensure that all americans have access to broadband and the many benefits the technology has to offer. whether we live in big cities

and urban areas or small rural towns, rich or poor, black or white, broadband holds so much promise. it appears that the national broadbent plan is a commitment -- the national broadband plan is getting everybody on board and we are united by the most important technology since the invention of the telephone. we must continue to modernize and innovate. i would like to point out a couple issues that are important to the families in my state. the universal service fund. florida historically has paid a lot into it and has not gotten much back i would like to hear how the national broadband plan will correct this past discrepancy. did you have a commitment to the use of spectrum -- do you have a commitment for the use of

spectrum? there are a lot of students and teachers and older people who will need our help accessing this vital technology. the e-rate program should be robustly funded to make sure that schools and libraries have access to affordable broadband, including wireless connectivity. the universal service fee must address this going forward. the public said the network is indispensable to the functioning of our communities. hurricane season is just around the corner and florida. our first responders will be on high alert. there is a lot of debate as to whether it dedicated blocks of spectrum would serve our first responders better than a shared network and i would like to hear more about that proposal. i am supportive of the recommendations and the plan. it struck a good balance between

innovation and incorporating practical mechanisms to bridge the digital divide. congratulations. >> thank you. the gentle lady from the virgin islands is recognized for two minutes. >> thank you. thank you for holding this hearing so we can go home better informed about the national broadband plan. although the number of people connected to broadband in this country has gone up to almost 200 million, to many families are not connected. this plan is a solid blue print and i look forward to implementing changes to close the gap. it cannot be that because they are not connected, children cannot do their homework, individuals cannot access jobs, small businesses cannot be competitive, health care cannot reach those who need it and our

public safety agencies cannot communicate well enough to protect us in an emergency. this plant has to ensure all of this while stimulating competitiveness. this is quite a challenge that you and we have ahead of us. to have several concerns, one being that the territories be fully included. -- i have several concerns, one being that the territories are fully included. welcome all of you back to the subcommittee. >> thank you. the gentleman from new york is recognized for two minutes. " thank you. i want to welcome members of the commission and express the gratitude of our committee for the work that went and to this report. but i want to associate my self with remarks that were made and

i want to make brief mention of my good friend remarks -- good friend's remarks. it is important to know that having a conversation about broadband without looking about what we are doing or not to win and how we are s we have learned with our history that advanced technology is a great job creator for ras. it helps as cree are -- keep our competitive advantage. it's like not looking at other stores and a neighborhood to see what they're doing right and wrong. too often -- and it is a constitutional problem, probably. we think ahead to the next

fiscal bill. this document that was produced by the fcc takes that and turns it on its head. we have to look to the next generation, the next 30 years, the next 50 years. admittedly there will be elements of the plan that will create problems for one sector, maybe encourage other sectors. but that is exactly the type of thinking that which to launch. we have to remember as we look at this committee that we are looking for opportunities to produce thousands of jobs. but we will not know exactly what they will look like. that is the way technology always operates. we are at our best in his body when we are laying the groundwork for innovation. the fcc has done it and i want to thank you very much for setting us on the path. we're going to change a lot of words in this document and make some amendments to it and find our own way as the legislature often does, but as a blueprint,

you have released the word and i want to express the gratitude of our country for what you're doing. you. the gentleman from ohio is recognized for two minutes. >> thank you. i would like to thank the chairman genachowski and the commissioners and staff for a lot of hard work. a lot of people have been working hard but i don't know if anybody has matched the work of your teams. thank you. there are a lot of exciting and forward thinking aspects to national broadband plan that you have prepared. but like to highlight two areas of interest -- i would like to highlight two areas of interest to me. i am delighted to see the plan proposes to transform the existing high-cost universal service fund into the connect america fund. it will support broadband

networks. the testimony before us, 95% of americans have access to broadband. that is impressive but we still have a lot of work to do to cover that 5%, many of whom live in rural districts and have no options. many of those people are my constituents. transitioning the high cost fund to explicitly support broadband deployment to rural areas will be a tremendous help to residents of appalachia. in 2007, an ohio health network was successful in building a fiber-optic network across 12 countries to collect health care facilities -- to connect health care facilities.

we are attempting to leverage this previous deployment to more counties. many places have no options. success breeds success. we must strengthen the role of world broadband to make it -- by making it permanent. i stand ready to assist on this front and i reiterate my support for the plan. i very much looked over to working with the commission, my colleagues in congress and industry partners to realize our potential. thank you. >> thank you. the gentleman from illinois is recognized for two minutes. >> thank you, mr. chairman. thank you for conducting this hearing and abel, chairman

genachowski -- hearing and welcome, genachowski. we have seen far more of our fair share of plants before us that promised us the sun, moon, stars, and celestial bodies seen and unseen. this plan promises to enhance america possibility to improve life choices of people. i may sound skeptical but i am not. much of this sounds good on paper and certainly makes for a good and polished sound bite. i understand the power of new

communication technologies and the importance of innovation. [inaudible] the promise of widespread access is important to our nation. the unique opportunity we are presented with at this moment is unprecedented and i want to ensure that congress and the fcc step up to the plate to serve the best interests of the american people. we will not get too many bites at this apple. if we did not exit k -- will miss out on a huge opportunity while setting back the short-term and long-term technology needs of the american people. i am keenly interested in hearing the commission's

perspectives, especially on the adoption of the broadband plan helping to stimulate new jobs and small business. [inaudible] mr. chairman, i yield back the balance of my time. >> thank you. >> the gentleman from vermont is recognized for two minutes. >> thank you. two points. the work you are doing is absolutely critical to the future of economic growth in this country but of what you

have presented is a solid plan that increases competition and knowledge as if we have competition, we have to have access to the wires and we have to have universal service so that it can reach the most remote parts of our country. tremendous. you have done this on a bipartisan basis. i have to tell you, that is pretty unique around here and i want to thank you for that. this is my observation. you have taken a very difficult topic, presented a solid plan and the net on a bipartisan basis. it is so effective it might embarrass us. thank you. >> thank you. the gentleman from washington is recognized for two minutes. >> thank you. i just want to note the work you are doing is helpful to improve our health reform efforts which are new and still building.

one instance where broadband can help the city of republic, washington, you have to turn all the computers off to have an extra red. -- to have an x-ray read. that is unacceptable. i want to commend you on freeing spectrum. i am pleased that you support the direction we're moving in the spectrum allocation. we passed a bill to get that done and you join us in that effort. we hope that is a lot before we get the next version of the report out. -- that is a law before we get the next version of the report out. you have some ideas about how to move forward.

it is festering -- frustrating for us to not have an interoperable system with law enforcement and firefighters not having systems. we have to get that done and we are on the right track. >> thank you. you have heard from us. now we get to hear from you. we would like to welcome the members of the federal communications commission. the chairman, julius genachowski, commissioner michael copps, commissioner clyburn, and commissioner and baker. we ask you keep your oral opening statements to approximately five minutes so we have at full-time -- ample time to question you. >> thank you. thank you for the chance to

testify on the national broadband plan. and this addresses the opportunities and challenges of high-speed internet in a way that reflects the strong conviction that as our nation rebuilds the economy, broadband can and must serve -- >> if i could get you to pull that microphone a bit closer. >> how is that? >> much better. >> ongoing investment and enduring job creation. multiple studies tell us the same thing. even modest increases and adoption can yield hundreds of dozens of new jobs. a broad array of people throughout the economy agree if we have world leading networks, there will be a powerful new wave of innovation and job creation. the title of one recent op-ed

said it all, "fix the bridges but did not forget broadband." the status quo is not good enough. notwithstanding the positive developments in the u.s., our country is not where it should be or needs to be to maintain our global competitiveness in this rapidly changing world. the u.s. is lagging globally, as low as 17th in one survey. 40th out of 40 among countries survey and the rate of change of innovative capacity. other countries are improving faster than us. certain communities within the country are lacking. for these groups, adoption rates are much lower than the 65% national average which itself is much lower than other countries and a lower than what we would tolerate for electricity or

telephones. altogether, 93 million americans are not connected to broadband, including 13 million children and 14 million americans cannot have access with a live even if they want it. that is too many. the costs grow higher every day. not having broadbenand had been an inconvenience a few years ago but now is a real hindrance in many areas. the plant will submit it is a call to action but the times require. the to reckitt staff have produced a plan that as strong as it is non-partisan. it does the outcome of a process that has been unprecedented and so many respects. it is open and transparent and the public has participated and it is focused on data and

analytics. this will provide or bus service to every american. -- this will provide broadband service to every american. access for every first responder to a nationwide interoperable public seeking network. in addition to this and other goals, it rolls -- it gives a robust road map for achieving them. it proposes a transformation of the universal service fund from yesterday's technology to tomorrows. it proposes unleashing spectrum so we can head off the looming spectrum crisis. it proposes ways to cut red tape, or the cost of private investment, and accelerate wireless networks.

everybody will be able to enjoy the benefits of broadband. i am heartened that it brought zero array of companies have voiced strong support for the -- a broad array of companies have voiced strong support for the plan. one wrote that this is a platform for social innovation. it is time to overcome our broadbent complaisance it. the national broadband plan is critical to i believe the plan will deliver extremely significant economic and fiscal benefits over time, as broadband is harnessed for job creation and new investment.

i think it respects the privacy of private investment, and identifies opportunities for new spectrum auctions. as when the ford, the technology with the greatest potential since the advent of electricity to transform our social well- being for the benefit of all americans. >> thank you, chairman genachowski. commissioner copps. >> >>this is something that has been near and dear to me for the almost nine years that i have been with the commission. i have been looking for broadband strategy in a competitive world where others have been leading us in the digital does. now that has tapered we have a roadmap, and we know where we want to go.

your setting off down that road. at last we began to walk the broadband wall. broadband is not just a " noble but because this is the great and a bulwark of our times. this infrastructure intersects with every challenge confronting our country. it opens doors of equal opportunity, news, information, and our democratic dialogue. and there is no solution to any of these challenges this -- that does not have a broad band component to it. it was music to my ears when congress called for the development of they national broadband plan. under the leadership of chairman genachowski and the hard work of the fcc team and and the most open and transparent process i have witnessed, we have a plan with clear objectives aimed at insuring everybody has an equal

opportunity in this new digital age the matter who they are, where they live, or their particular circumstances. foremost amongst our charges is a digital inclusion. everybody must have access to this technology to participate in 21st century life. you will not get a job without it. you cannot be well educated without it. you cannot be engaged citizen without it. america cannot afford to have a digital divide between those living in big cities and rural areas or tribal lands. broadband must leave no american behind including the original americans, native americans. i encourage the team that this works for them and i am pleased by the recommendations that have been delivered. these are people that asked nothing more than an equal shot

at being fully productive citizens. broadband can make that so much more achievable. my written testimony elaborate on these points. i am pleased that the plan addresses the need for better research and the public safety plan which we will talk about. i want to spend a couple minutes on the less tangible but still important aspects. as the infrastructure begins to my great online, we become increasingly dependent upon broadband for news and information, civic engagement, and democratic dialogue. the feature town square will be paved by broadband bricks and we need to make sure it is open to all and available to all. those that are connected to have the world at their fingertips. if they are not connected, it is beyond their reach. if an increase of technology does not by itself guarantee a

more informed said its -- citizenry. the well-connected nation does not translate to a well informed nation without significant effort. a nation connected but not informed or cynically engaged is about as useful to democracy is a plug and lamp with no light bulb. -- p luugelugged in lamp with no light bulb. time spares you might extended remarks on the subject but we all know that journalism is in trouble. we better do something about how the american people receive their news and information in a world where the town square is going broadband and where a critically important public interest has somehow to be safeguarded. any viable solutions have to address a traditional and online

media. i look forward to working on this with the members of this committee. each of the commissioners will have some variations on the plan that has been presented. with spectrum, for example, i will be especially vigilant to make sure it does not decrease the scarce denver city would have in programming or media ownership. -- does not decrease the scarce diversity we have in programming or media ownership. this may require some very tough decisions but i believe the plan provides ample opportunity for us to tackle and resolve such problems as we proceed. my final comment is on an issue i tried to highlight every time i come before you. it is the need to facilitate the

work of the commissioners by modifying the closed meeting will that prohibits more than two of us to ever talk and share our experience about the issues before the commission. my experience has shown me that this has had had pernicious and unintended consequences stifling conversations and delaying decisions and shortchanging the public interest. i note that congressmen have introduced bills to remedy this. thank you for the opportunity to testify and i look forward to your questions, comments, and guidance. >> thank you. >> commissioner mcdowell. >> the plan offered last week does represent a tremendous amount of hard work.

it was not put to a vote and contained no rules. that is because the plan represents the beginning of a process and not the end of one. we may disagree at times on the best path to follow during our upcoming journey, we can all agree on at least the primary destination, a country that offers faster broadband access to more americans at affordable prices. before going further, all policymakers involved should pledge to do no harm. precisely because the sec classifies broadband services as less regulated information services, we have seen adoption of broadband technologies flourish. as the plan itself asserts, the number of americans who have broadband at home has grown from 8 million in 2000, to nearly 200 million last year. in fact, out of 114 million households, only 7 million lack of access to broadband.

some form of broadband is available to roughly 95% of americans. there is phenomenal growth in wireless broadband adoption. mobile broadbent was virtually unheard of in 2000. by the end of last year, an estimated 100 million americans subscribe to these technologies. we lead the world in 3g build out and adoption. we are home to more wireless companies than any other country. more than half of all americans have the choice of five wireless providers. economic activity has been nothing short of explosive. last year, american's lead the world by downloading over 1.1

billion applications on their mobile devices. the u.s. has one-third of the world market share of global applications but the market has grown over 500% since 2007. some researchers estimate that annual domestic application download will reach 7 billion by 2014. the internet is the environment that is growing and evolving faster than any individual company or government can measure. it operates any open and free marketplace where innovation and investment are thriving. some estimate that infrastructure exceeded $60 billion last year alone. any policy the government adopts should nurture and strengthen these trends and not undermine them. for instance, cable modem services alone are available to 92% of american households.

unless the government provides assistance -- incentives to business, the goal of reaching 100 million households with 100 meg services should be attained before 2020 if we allow the current trends to continue. in that spirit, we call for further regulating one of the brightest spots in the american comedy. chapter 17 opens the door to classifying services as old fashioned, monopoly-era voice telephone services under title ii of the communications act of 1934. broadband has flourished because of the absence of such regulations. let me clear up a persistent myth. broadband has never been regulated under title ii,

. the plant does contain ideas that are worth exploring further. bringing more spectrum to market should be a party for the commission -- should be a priority for the commission and it has been for years. the commission should encourage more efficient use of the airwaves. the need to spectrum efficiently is inevitable. we should work to stay ahead of the spectral efficiency curve. plan -- the pallan calls for

changing the rules. our first priority should be to contain costs. the contribution factor which is directly paid by consumers has ballooned from two 0.5% -- from two 0.5% to 15%. and this hurts consumers and is unsustainable. the universal service fund cannot support additional obligations. i have outlined many other ideas in my written statement. i look for to working with congress and my colleagues to adopt policies that allow investment, innovation, job growth, competition public and adoption in the broadband market to continue. thank you. >> thank you. commissioner clyburn. >> thank you.

it is an honor and privilege to appear before you today to discuss the national broadband plan. over the past nine months, the fcc undertook the mammoth task of developing a blueprint for this nation that aims to bolster our standing as a bold leader in technology, inclusion, and technology. under the german's leadership, we have conducted an unprecedented and transparent plan to maximize public input. and there are three issues that i want to touch on. in my view, each of these warrant our utmost and immediate attention. fostering the development of a nationwide interoperable public safety network, ensuring an environment consistent with universal broadband adoption and competition in the broadband marketplace.

developing a public safety net is no easy task. this is no excuse for where we stand today. it is inconceivable that almost nine years since 9/11, we still have not meaningfully addressed this critical need. the national broadband plan attempts to meet this challenge. it offers concrete steps for public safety that will provide functionality and interrupt ability for the public's intercommunity. the recommendations for the emergency address to of the fundamental building blocks for making this a reality. it sets forth a rigorous program to make sure we get the details right and the commission has already put ideas into motion by hosting a technical panel to review the finer points of the

proposed network. another indispensable part of the plan concerns broadband adoption. approximately one-third of americans have -- to not have broadband at home. high-speed internet is the gateway to opportunity and is fast becoming a requirement for meaningful citizenship. if you want to apply for jobs, take classes that are unavailable in your town, on like that -- on what economic opportunities, obtain government services, you must have direct high-speed access to the internet. we would merely be reinforcing an underclass that will weigh heavily on our progress. the plan also offers a critical recommendation with respect to the high cost of bark -- a

broadband. specifically, the plan recommends wholesale reform of the universal service fund to enable it to direct support of broadband services. process adjusts nearly every aspect of the current suf methods -- usf methods. competition is the lifeblood of innovation and affordable prices. without it, the industry has little reason to upgrade its facilities and improve services. the cable industry executives recently noted that there is no need for the company to roll out faster internet speed available today in areas where it does not have competition from another high-speed provider. thus, only in areas where americans are lucky enough to

have more than one provider with truly high-speed capability will providers like this have any economic incentive to offer better service. the same holds true for prices. there is little question that where there is limited or no competition, consumers pay higher prices for broadband. indeed, just recently, we saw a new fight in prices levied by providers on the lowest tiers of service. when increases like this occur, the public interest requires us to take appropriate action. in closing, i would like to express my gratitude to my colleagues and my enthusiasm for working with them to adjust the challenges ahead. i also want to recognize the important work of the committee and i look forward to engaging constructively with you in the weeks and months ahead. the american people rely on us

to work cooperatively to make sure we implement a national broadband plan that is good for consumers and helps to have our economy. thank you for the opportunity to appear before you put a i look forward to answering any questions you might have. . . all but the share a few remarks with you here this morning, hitting many of the topics that my companions have, and my full statement will be entered in the record. broadband america is a success story in both the clinton and bush administrations. we've gone from the narrowband dial-up world to a multi

platform broadband world by passing a regulatory framework that led -- allows competition. private industry from every communication platform has responded to this consistent framework with substantial network investment and deployment to the great benefit of consumers. this is all of broadband capability access to 95% of americans. there are only 7 million households where market forces have yet to be a wired broadband provider. yet there is more work to be done and i'm pleased to be here to talk about the national broadband plan. there places where i would make different recommendations and suggestions, but i am grateful to the team for its hard work and find that significant parts of the plan deserve careful consideration. i like to say a few words about priorities and planted it. since i arrived at the fcc, one

area is spectrum policy. policy. the continued success of the state of the our mobile broadband depends on our ability to align our spectrum policy with the changing needs of consumers and industry. other nations like germany and japan are already planning significant additional blocks of spectrum to be auctioned for mobile broadband. the united states must act similarly. to laydown the spectrum for a meaningful alternative to a fixed broadband. i hope policies will be guided by three overarching objectives -- facilitating the spectrum, allocating additional spectrum, and encouraging investment and innovation in wireless technologies. the second policy area is

comprehensive universal service funds and compensation reform traded at broadband investment in underserved areas. we need to update our funding mechanisms to reflect a broadband world. we must do so in a manner that ensures accountability and efficiency. we need to do this in a manner that does not expand the size of the $9 billion fund. the graja region factor for next quarter will be the largest ever. -- the contribution factor. this is real tax. nationwide interoperable he must be a top priority. the plans and recommendations are inappropriate place for us to start focusing on first responder funding and available spectrum resources. the need for interoperable the was highlighted in the 9/11 report and illustrated again in

the aftermath of hurricane katrina and rita. as we consider all of the plans and recommendations, our policy should be focused on these efforts directly tied to promoting adoption, the climate, and facilities based competition. -- adoption, deployment. i am concerned that some of the proposals referenced in the plan chart a more radical past changing our regulatory framework midcourse. this could diminish our much- needed emphasis on adoption and chilled the private investment we need for our infrastructure. we must, in particular, resist dictating how networks are managed and operated.

i have attended two workshops and reviewed neutrality and have yet to see a systematic problem that needs to be addressed today. we also sued -- should reject calls to monopoly the internet. these selectively for that are long and checkered history with government manufactured competition. lastly, i am hopeful we -- avoid the one-size-fits-all approach. this is true to affordability, relevancy, and literacy hurdles facing one-third of americans today. each one of these has its own importance. thank you for the opportunity to be here today and i look forward to your questions. >> thank you to each of the commissioners and chairman for your thoughtful comments to us today. we appreciate your sharing some of the rationales you have had in developing this comprehensive and very well constructed plan.

commissioner, i was pleased to the ambitious deadlines that you set forth in the plan for achieving the competitive availability of the set top boxes. i think if consumers could shop for set top boxes and choose one that had buried functionality, a variety of different functions available from different manufacturers all of which are compatible with every cable system and every satellite system for delivering multichannel video. we would see tremendous innovation in the market for the origination of these devices and i think we would soon see devices on store shelves that would have functionality well beyond the typical set top box you buy from the cable company or the satellite company today. i commend you for setting forth these ambitious deadlines. this is not a new issue.

in fact, it is a 15-years old. we directed the commission to move forward with the rule making in order to assure the competitive availability of these boxes. still today, consumers cannot go to the store and shop for a variety of different set top boxes. i am glad to see the recommendation. i would ask you if you agree with me that rather than putting forth a notice of inquiry and continue for a much longer period of time a discussion about this that it is now time to move to a notice of proposed rulemaking. i think it is and i hope you would agree and i ask for your response. >> thank you for raising that topic. it is an important one. you mention that congress required competition in this area and we see much less

innovation than we could. the reason it is in the broadband plan is they realize during its work that while computers are only in about 76% of homes tv's art in 100% of homes. if we could unleash this particular market, that could help accelerate broadbent read with respect to the exact process, i would be happy to work with you expeditiously as possible. we have not made a final decision on the -- >> thank you very much. i would encourage you to give this favorable discussion. we have been discussing this for 15 years and that is time enough. you appear to be recommending a role for local governments, principalities across the country in helping to deploy broadband. i sure that aspiration. in the past congresses i have introduced legislation that would free local governments to

offer broadband particularly where there are gaps for whatever reason the commercial providers have not provided an array of services for broadband. the mention of this in your plan implies support for legislation that would remove the roadblocks that various states have erected to their municipalities offering blog and -- offering broadband. >> mr. chairman, if i could, we would happy to give you a resource for that. the cool of unleashing local government to experiment and innovate around broadband access seems to be a highly desirable goal. i would be happy to work with you to encourage the local experimentation that could be of benefit. >> a very diplomatic answer you

are providing. let me is the balance of my time to talk about [inaudible] i think you are on the the right block -- the right track by saying the remaining part of the spectrum should be auctioned. because the auction to fail several years ago. i heartily endorse your idea of auctioning without those kinds of conditions. i have two questions. first of all, would you need legislation in order to use that in some significant part were totally to the build out of equipment for fire, please come and rescue nationwide? >> i agree.

>> we will certainly work. i am working with chairman waxman that would provide that for a free the second question i had relates to your proposal that the winners in the auction and the holders of 0700 mhz spectrum which would include the cellular companies that prevailed in previous auctions provide it roaming access to first responders at reasonable rates. also, give priority access to first responders at times when the public safety spectrum is either fully occupied or for other reasons unavailable. the recommendation may give pause to some who would consider taking part in an auction because it needs a better definition. i suppose my direct question to