WASHINGTON, March 15, 2010 – An executive summary of the Federal Communications Commission’s forthcoming National Broadband Plan drew near-unanimous praise from stakeholders on the eve of the full plan’s release, with industry groups, public interest advocates and lawmakers all weighing in positively as they became aware of the agency’s intentions.

WASHINGTON, March 15, 2010 – Blair Levin, head of the Federal Communications Commission’s national broadband plan and the “national purposes” team at the agency previewed key points from the upcoming national broadband plan.

The object of the plan, they said, is not just to expand broadband networks, but to enable the creation of applications and innovations built upon that network. The six primary objective areas presented were healthcare, education, energy, civic engagement, economic expansion, and public safety.

WASHINGTON, March 15, 2010 – The Federal Communications Commission will present its congressionally mandated plan to bring high-speed Internet access throughout the United States to lawmakers tomorrow, outlining six long-term goals and detailing its views on better ways to encourage broadband competition, free up available spectrum and modernize health care, among other things.

The Knight Digital Media Center web site promotes the upcoming Broadband Breakfast Club, “Setting the Table for the National Broadband Plan: Where to From Here?”

WASHINGTON, March 11, 2010 – Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski explained his agency’s role in the merger review process on Thursday before senators, with an emphasis on the pending union of NBC Universal and Comcast.

WASHINGTON, March 11, 2010 – The FCC launched its consumer broadband test today, enabling consumers to test the speed and other performance measurements of their broadband connections.

WASHINGTON, March 11, 2010 –The Small Business Administration is requesting that the Federal Communications Commission look into redefining or revising size standards governing telecommunication services firms to better reflect current market conditions.

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2010 – With the national broadband plan due to be unveiled next Tuesday at the Federal Communications Commission, the commissioners have been speaking about issues surrounding broadband adoption.

Commissioner Mignon Clyburn has been particularly vocal about the need for affordable rates and increased digital literacy; both issues ranked at the top of reasons why non-adopters claim to not use the internet.

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2010 – The Federal Communications Commission plans to release the National Broadband Plan on Tuesday, March 16, at its March open meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. at agency headquarters at 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2010 – Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan on Tuesday compared broadband expansion in the United States to the development of the interstate highway system under President Eisenhower, speaking at the Knight Center for Digital Inclusion.

Also speaking at the event was Federal Communications Commissioner Chairman Julius Genachowski, who addressed the various impacts of broadband on the wider economy and the need for expansion in order to spur innovation. Genachowski also commented on the fact that the United States has fallen behind on key metrics; once number two globally, the United States has fallen to a distant 15 in connectivity.