FCC Chairman Advocates National Policy For ""Broadband"" Cable-Internet Access

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman William Kennard recently urged cable providers to endorse a national policy for standards on high-speed Internet access and cable TV systems and predicted ëchaosí for the marketplace unless a unified strategy is adopted. Kennard is advocating a ""competitive, market-driven approach"" for a broadband national policy providing technical standards for high-speed Internet access and cable television systems. States Kennard, ""Here is my vision for broadband in America. Multiple broadband pipes serving Americaís homes. At least four or five facilities-based competitors: Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), cable modem, terrestrial wireless and satellite."" With such a policy, Kennard believes that consumers would have access to multiple facilities-based carriers ""competing robustly"" to bring ""all sorts of wonderful content to Americaís homes.""Kennard warned cable industry leaders that chaos would result if the cable industry and Internet providers adhere to a fractured approach. ""There are 30,000 local franchising authorities in the U.S. If each and every one of them decided on their own technical standards for two-way communications on e cable infrastructure, there would be chaos.""