FCC Seeks Comment on Free Press Data Request

Free Press on February 22, 2010, filed a request to "review data collected by the Federal Communications Commission in connection with its periodic inquiry into the deployment of advanced telecommunications capability to all Americans." In particular, it requests that "the public be granted the opportunity to examine and analyze the data collected by the FCC on Form 477." Free Press states that its request is "limited to the data reflecting subscribership as of December 31, 2008." Free Press further states that it "understand[s] that some of the companies that provided this information may believe their submissions are competitively sensitive," and therefore requests "a protective order and ask[s] that the Commission institute appropriate procedures for the public to review the Form 477 data." Free Press asserts that grant of its requests will allow it "to conduct a more comprehensive analysis of subscribership to high-speed Internet access services" that will "assist the Commission in making well-informed, data-driven policy choices."

Interested parties may file comments on or before April 19, 2010, and reply comments on or before May 4, 2010.