Coalition seeks federal nudge for universal broadband

Vint Cerf and Federal Communications Commission member Jonathan Adelstein joined forces Tuesday in renewing calls for the U.S. government to more actively expand broadband service. They and other members of a new coalition promised hearings across the country and set up a Web site at InternetForEveryone.org to outline principles such as universal access and competition to ensure lower prices and faster Internet connection speeds. But the group offered few specifics, including any proposed legislation. Josh Silver, executive director of the Free Press advocacy group, said that given the complexities of broadband policy, the new coalition was focusing instead on raising awareness and establishing ideas for the next administration to consider. Other members of the coalition include leading Internet scholars Lawrence Lessig and Jonathan Zittrain; Michael Winship, president of the Writers Guild of America-East, which recently battled Hollywood over online rights; and Robin Chase, co-founder of the Zipcar automobile-rental service.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080624/ap_on_hi_te/broadband_policy