FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said on Tuesday that the concept of universal service needs to be substantially upgraded to encompass financial support for high-speed Internet services in rural areas.
In a live video presentation at the NEXTComm industry show here, Martin said broadband policies should be updated so rural consumers could receive the same services as their urban counterparts. "But there's a limited amount of funding to do this," said Martin, who responded to questions from industry leaders. "We need ... a policy that is technologically neutral."
Martin said the FCC should move away from "subsidizing multiple voice carriers in rural areas" to subsidizing broadband. He added, "It's critical that the concept of universal service stays in place -- and that everyone stays connected."
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It will be interesting to see how this fits with efforts underway in California through the California Emerging Technology Fund and the Governor's Broadband Task Force.
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