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FCC seeks extension for broadband plan

By Kenneth Corbin on January 7, 2010 2:51 PM

The Federal Communications Commission has asked Congress for a one-month extension for delivering its national broadband plan.

If granted, the extension would push the due date for the broadband plan back from Feb. 17 to the following month.

The mandate for the plan came in last year's economic stimulus package. In the time since, the FCC has collected voluminous sets of comments from a broad range of stakeholders and concerned parties, and held dozens of staff workshops, both in Washington and around the country, soliciting input on various aspects of the plan.

The plan is expected to contain a variety of policy proposals, including allocating more spectrum for wireless networks and reforms to the Universal Service Fund telecom subsidy and rules governing the sharing of infrastructure, as well as initiatives to encourage more Americans to subscribe to broadband service.

The FCC's work on the broadband plan has pushed other issues pending before the commission, many of which are related to topics that will be addressed in the report to Congress, to the back burner.

Stifel Nicolaus analyst Rebecca Arbogast said the impact of the delay would likely be minimal.

"We do not believe this delay has any particular market significance," Arbogast said in a research note. "Though it will necessarily delay the release of proposals stemming from the plan ... it is likely that the additional time spent briefing key Washington officials on the front end will help smooth the process on the back end."

Steve Largent, president and CEO of CTIA, the wireless industry trade association, welcomed the news, speaking for many when he said it was more important that the FCC take the extra time to weigh all the issues than race to meet a somewhat artificial deadline.

"We know the FCC has and is working diligently to complete the plan, and believe it is more important that the commission get it right, Largent said in a statement. "If they need more time to get it right, then Congress should allow it."

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