What We’re Doing
America deserves better broadband Internet service. Through education and promoting a public dialogue, the Coalition for Free Broadband Now is working to ensure that all Americans have access to broadband service that is free, fast and family-friendly.
The Federal Communications Commission is currently considering a proposal by M2Z Networks that would guarantee delivery of free, fast and family-friendly wireless broadband service to at least 95 percent of Americans within 10 years, with speeds similar those presently offered by phone companies. Under the proposal, M2Z would offer a free broadband service and, for higher- speed access, a monthly subscription service. The free service would be suitable for basic Internet access such as email and web surfing, while the subscription service would be suitable for those, such as business owners, who require higher speeds. The free service would be search-supported, which means that M2Z would share with its Internet advertising partners the zip code of the tower through which the user has Internet access, so that text searches would be more relevant to the user's location, for example, locating a nearby pizza shop instead of one far away. Under the M2Z plan, all a user will have to do to get started is make a one-time purchase of a modem at any electronics store.
M2Z's proposal requires that the FCC grant it a license to use "spectrum," that is, a specific range of frequencies that M2Z would use to offer Internet access. The FCC typically licenses spectrum through auctions. However, the FCC has the authority to license spectrum through other means, when it is in the public's interest. M2Z has proposed that, in lieu of making an auction payment, it pay the U.S. Treasury 5% of its gross annual revenues from the subscription service each year during the term of the requested license. This innovative payment plan will complement the existing FCC spectrum auction mechanism by promoting innovation and competition while providing the government with a predictable, long- term income stream.
Without hearing from you about the importance of free broadband now, the FCC might take years to consider such a proposal. The Coalition for Free Broadband Now believes America deserves prompt action on this bold idea. Join us and let the FCC know America needs and wants action now to deliver free, fast and family-friendly broadband across the nation.
How It Would Work
In the early days of radio and television, the government created a system that delivered universal access in the broadcast arena. By granting pioneering broadcasters access to spectrum, the airwaves over which television signals travel, Americans of all income levels were immediately able to gain access to free over-the-air news, entertainment, public service and emergency alert information.
The same cannot be said for broadband access. While more than half of American homes contain a computer, this does not guarantee broadband access to the Internet. Many American households and businesses simply do not benefit from affordable broadband access.
A plan currently before the FCC would replicate the free, over-the-air television model for broadband.
