FCC Chief's Broadband Goals in His Words

Since Julius Genachowski became chairman of the Federal Communications Commission last year, his main priority has been overhauling the government's strategy for expanding high-speed Internet access.

Genachowski, who has been an executive and investor in technology companies, argues that people who lack fast Internet connectivity have fewer economic opportunities. He also says the entire nation needs faster access in order to remain competitive with other countries for digital-age jobs and investment.

As the FCC's broadband plan was being finished before its delivery to Congress, Genachowski, 47, discussed his goals in an interview with The Associated Press.

AP: What's more important? Getting broadband to people who don't yet have it, or raising the speeds for people who do? Can you do both at once?

Genachowski:
We have to do it all. It's like saying about electricity, what's more important getting it to our factories or getting it to rural America?

Getting consumers information
AP: What can the government do? How can it stimulate the growth of broadband and increase speeds?

Genachowski:
To me, broadband is an infrastructure challenge that's very akin to what we've faced in the past with telephones and electricity (which got government subsidies).

It's not hard to understand why (the Internet) buildout in rural America has been slower than in urban America. The less dense the population, the harder the economic case is and we know that for millions of Americans, broadband is just not built out and so there, government has to find a way (to encourage it)...