Verizon Communications is denouncing the Federal Communications Commission’s National Broadband Plan, saying it was created with old services such as telephone, radio and cable in mind. The NBP, rolled out by the FCC last week, aims to provide at least 100 million homes in the U.S. affordable Internet access at download speeds of 100 megabits per second and upload speeds of 50 megabits per second.
Verizon Vice President Thomas Tauke said the FCC didn’t take enough time to write the rules and moved too quickly to use those rules to regulate the Internet. The rules are confusing and obscure, Tauke said at an event sponsored by the New Democrat Network.
“We want order, but we also don’t want to hinder innovation and investment in this dynamic broadband and Internet marketplace,” Tauke said.
His comments come just a week after Verizon released a statement saying it commended FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and the NBP Task Force for developing a coherent plan and addressing the array of broadband issues.
After dissecting the 300-plus-page plan, Verizon made a few suggestions. Consumers should be in charge by being able to choose the devices, software, applications and access they want, according to Tauke.
Because companies are facing a slew of challenges, including five billion cyberattack threats monitored each day, privacy and security are a concern. The FCC needs to consider the privacy and security of U.S. Internet users utilizing social networking, online banking, and e-commerce, Verizon said.
But Verizon’s biggest complaint is with subsidies. While the company said the FCC’s plan to address facility-based deployment in high-cost areas is heading in the right direction, the plan needs a new approach to address providing low-income homes with Internet access.
Verizon suggested the FCC follow the same government subsidy programs currently in place such as fuel…