Rep Thompson on the National Broadband Plan

On March 3, 2010, Rep Bennie Thompson (D-MS) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski recommending that the FCC, in crafting the National Broadband Plan, consider promoting infrastructure expansion, require affordable service through regulatory measures; prescribe data collection, implement requirement tracking of equity impacts and support last mile projects that improve public health and education and stimulate economic development and job creation.

He asked the FCC take the following steps:

1. Promote federal support for projects that combine Infrastructure expansion, community access and development of demand.
2. Require affordable service In communities of color and low-Income communities through subsidies or expansion of the Universal Service Fund Lifeline.
3. Prescribe reporting and publication requirements that allow assessment of project impacts in low-opportunity communities and communities of color.
4. Call for funding for projects that solve the last mile problem for providers of important services such as health and education and initiatives that foster job creation and economic development.

On May 12, Chairman Genachowski replied, noting that many of the ideas Rep Thompson proposed are incorporated into the broadband plan.