Video with Some Thoughts on FCC’s National Broadband Plan

by on March 15, 2010 · 7 comments

Details are starting to trickle out about the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) National Broadband Plan, which is due out tomorrow. Someone just posted the Executive Summary here. I haven’t had a chance to go through it all yet, but I’m looking forward to learning more about what the agency’s plans are on this front.

On Friday (again, before seeing any details), I offered some fairly mushy comments about the idea of national “plan” to the gang over at the excellent new site, FiveQsOnTech.com.  The site has a great format: Five questions on technology and policy asked and answered (usually on tape) by technology policy wonks. I’m honored to be among the first couple of experts featured on the site, along with Markham Erickson of the Open Internet Coalition and Rob Atkinson of ITIF.

In the first 3 minutes of this second of the two videos I appear in, I offered some thoughts about “The Plan”:

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About Adam Thierer

Adam Thierer is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He previously served as President of The Progress & Freedom Foundation, as Director of Telecommunications Studies at the Cato Institute, and as a Fellow in Economic Policy at the Heritage Foundation. He is the author or editor of six books on technology and media policy and also writes a weekly column for Forbes called "Technologies of Freedom." Thierer earned his bachelor's degree in political science and journalism at Indiana University and received his master's degree in international business management and trade theory at the University of Maryland. His passions in life (besides technology and liberty, of course) are fast cars, fine cigars, and good beer.

Read more articles by Adam Thierer.

  • http://blog.pff.org/archives/2010/03/media_notice_tuesdays_diane_rehm_show_npr_on_natio.html The Progress & Freedom Foundation Blog

    media notice: Tuesday’s Diane Rehm Show (NPR) on National Broadband Plan…

    Just FYI.. Tomorrow’s “Diane Rehm Show” on NPRs local affiliate station (WAMU 88.5FM) will feature a debate about the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) National Broadband Plan, which is due out tomorrow. [Here's the executive summary.] The…

  • http://techliberation.com/2010/03/15/media-notice-tuesdays-diane-rehm-show-npr-on-national-broadband-plan/ media notice: Tuesday’s Diane Rehm Show (NPR) on National Broadband Plan

    [...] I’ve been invited to be on the show alongside Ben Scott, policy director at Free Press, Dennis Wharton, spokesperson for the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), and a few other guests who haven’t been announced just yet. (Here are some of my early musings on the plan: 1, 2.) [...]

  • http://techliberation.com/2010/03/15/5-regulatory-hot-potatoes-that-could-derail-the-fcc-national-broadband-plan/ 5 Regulatory Hot Potatoes That Could Derail the FCC National Broadband Plan

    [...] ability to centrally plan one of the most important, fast-moving sectors of our economy.  In this video clip, I discussed some of my general reservations with the idea of a gargantuan government industrial [...]

  • http://techliberation.com/2010/03/17/4-media-clips-about-fcc-national-broadband-plan/ 4 Media Clips about FCC National Broadband Plan

    [...] interview with “5 Qs on Tech” about the plan (3 min.) [...]

  • http://blog.pff.org/archives/2010/03/4_media_clips_about_fcc_national_broadband_plan.html The Progress & Freedom Foundation Blog

    4 Media Clips about FCC National Broadband Plan…

    Couple of media clips here regarding my thoughts about the FCC’s National Broadband Plan: C-Span Debate with Art Brodsky of Public Knowledge (49 min.) NPR / “Diane Rehm Show” Debate with Ben Scott of Free Press (51 min.) quick audio……

  • Traderawb

    I can see your leanings here are towards non-government intervention and allowing the natural ebbing and flow of the uncontrolled market to prevail, but you also, probably because you recognize that those who want to control and use other peoples money to do so exist, temper your comments so as to be able to work with and influence these users of force to move in a more free market direction. I do applaud your efforts, but also hate the idea that you grant them legitimacy when you do so. Ah! such is life, I guess. As you say, government has a very poor record precisely because of the use of force to do even what is considered good. It NEVER is if all things are considered in the costs. Never.

  • Traderawb

    I can see your leanings here are towards non-government intervention and allowing the natural ebbing and flow of the uncontrolled market to prevail, but you also, probably because you recognize that those who want to control and use other peoples money to do so exist, temper your comments so as to be able to work with and influence these users of force to move in a more free market direction. I do applaud your efforts, but also hate the idea that you grant them legitimacy when you do so. Ah! such is life, I guess. As you say, government has a very poor record precisely because of the use of force to do even what is considered good. It NEVER is if all things are considered in the costs. Never.

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