The unveiling of a National Broadband Plan in 2010 by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission got mostly good reviews from the technology and telecommunications industries as well as the White House.
At the same time, though, some skeptics suggested that the cost of the project, estimated at $12 billion to $25 billion at the time, and its reliance on an industry with limited competition, would one day force the FCC to cut back on its lofty goal of bringing 100M bits per second (bps) broadband service to 100 million U.S. homes by about 2020.
The skeptics may have been right as major U.S. carriers have started to seek relief from their vow to support the plan as its enormous costs become clearer.
Computerworld offers a Tip of the Hat to Newsweek's David K. Johnston for his look at proposed legislation and agreements in multiple states that would let the carriers avoid having to expand broadband service to rural areas both in limited population states like Montana and North Dakota, and parts of northeastern states like New Jersey.
The story, Telecom Giants Drag Their Feet on Broadband for the Whole Country, offers one strong look at the state of the FCC's plan today and offers a take on where things may end up.
Read more about broadband in Computerworld's Broadband Topic Center.
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