FCC Chief Revamping $8 Billion Fund

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From the publication of Free Press

FCC Chief Revamping $8 Billion Fund
Under pressure to expand high-speed Internet access around the country, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski will lay out a plan to revamp an antiquated $8 billion program to fund new broadband networks.

Eliza Krigman, Politico
FCC to Propose Expanding Broadband Service to Underserved Areas
The FCC will propose the first steps toward converting the $8 billion fund that subsidizes rural telephone service into one for helping pay to provide broadband Internet service to underserved areas, according to Commission officials.

Edward Wyatt, New York Times
Free Press Responds to FCC Roll Out on Universal Service Reform
In a speech to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski outlined a proposal to revamp for the Universal Service Fund, echoing similar ideas discussed by the chairman last year. At the core of USF reform is the transformation of a program that was created to subsidize telephone lines in rural communities into a program that would fund the construction of broadband networks in communities that are currently without service.

Free Press
FCC Urged to Move on Public Safety Plan Despite White House Rejection
The FCC is facing internal and external pressure to move forward with a public safety proposal it announced last year even after the White House rejected the plan.

Sara Jerome, The Hill
Rule Against Broadcast of Telephone Conversation Without Prior Permission Is Constitutional, Says FCC
The FCC upheld a $4000 fine issued to a broadcaster for broadcasting a telephone conversation without first getting the permission of the people on the other end of the line, denying reconsideration that the broadcaster had sought — arguing that the fine violated its First Amendment rights.

David Oxenford, Broadcast Law Blog