In March 2010, the FCC delivered to
Congress a plan to help make sure that all Americans can get
high-speed advanced Internet service – otherwise known as
“broadband.” Congress asked the FCC to develop this plan, and
the FCC went around the country asking different groups of
people for their ideas and opinions before putting the plan
together.
Broadband Internet service lets you use
the Internet and Internet-related services at much higher speeds
than traditional modems, like a regular telephone line. There
are many advantages to having broadband. Some of these are: your
connection is always on, there is no need to dial-up your
Internet provider, information can be downloaded into your
computer at much higher speeds than with traditional modems, and
you can go online without tying up your telephone. Even Elmo
knows the importance of high speed Internet.
Click here to see a conversation between Elmo and the
Chairman of the FCC.
The FCC’s National Broadband Plan
includes ideas on how to use broadband to help the economy grow,
to help create jobs, to help educate children, to help protect
the public and to help people participate in government
processes and get in touch with government services. For more
information go to www.broadband.gov.
The FCC’s Plan includes recommendations
to solve these problems. The Plan suggests that America should
work toward a number of goals, including:
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Connect 100 million households to
affordable fast broadband service.
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Make sure every American community has
affordable access to high speed broadband service.
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Make sure that every child in America
knows how to use high-speed Internet by the time he or she
leaves high school.
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Bring affordable broadband to rural
communities, schools, libraries, and less privileged groups of
people, who might not be able to afford it.
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Enhance the safety of the American
people by providing every first responder, like a fireman or a
policeman, with access to a nationwide wireless public safety
network that allows each person to communicate with people in
other units.
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