President Obama yesterday stated an upcoming executive action to increase US broadband speeds and reduce its cost, something he intends to announce at a speech tomorrow in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and again in his sixth State of the Union address next week.
The White House said that it plans to file a letter with the Federal Communications Commission to end restrictions in 19 states that it believes are holding back broadband advances. It also plans to push a grants and loans program for rural carriers to supply subsidized broadband, as well as form a "Broadband Opportunity Council" whose job it will be to "promote greater coordination" among various government organizations.
Obama mentioned Cedar Falls as a prime example of the inequality of broadband service among US cities when compared to international counterparts. He confirmed that download speeds in cities like Hong Kong, Paris,Tokyo and Seoul are much greater than that of Los Angeles, Washington DC, San Francisco and New York.
The President wants the federal government to do more to safeguard data, both from attackers and advertisers. He's also expected to weigh in once again on changes to net neutrality, which the FCC is voting on next month.
The White House said that it plans to file a letter with the Federal Communications Commission to end restrictions in 19 states that it believes are holding back broadband advances. It also plans to push a grants and loans program for rural carriers to supply subsidized broadband, as well as form a "Broadband Opportunity Council" whose job it will be to "promote greater coordination" among various government organizations.
Obama mentioned Cedar Falls as a prime example of the inequality of broadband service among US cities when compared to international counterparts. He confirmed that download speeds in cities like Hong Kong, Paris,Tokyo and Seoul are much greater than that of Los Angeles, Washington DC, San Francisco and New York.
The President wants the federal government to do more to safeguard data, both from attackers and advertisers. He's also expected to weigh in once again on changes to net neutrality, which the FCC is voting on next month.
