Levin proposes alternative broadband roll out proposal

Blair Levin may no longer be the FCC's broadband ruler, but he thinks he has a solution that will bring broadband access to 97 of America at a cost of only $10 billion over ten years.

This plan's cost pales in comparison to the Australian government's $42 billion NBN plan, which could include the purchase of incumbent Telstra's wireline infrastructure.  

Levin, who left the FCC last year after returning to the agency to help craft the FCC's broadband plan, outlined his alternative proposal plan in a paper presented at The Aspen Institute, Communications and Society Program, Universal Broadband: Targeting Investments to Deliver Broadband Services to All Americans, where he serves as a fellow.

The broadband proposal comes just as the USDA and RUS wrap up their respective allocations of $7 billion of stimulus funding to fund broadband projects.

While these funds are a good step forward, Levin argues the funds "will not be sufficient to ensure that all people in the United States have access to and can enjoy the benefits of universal digital citizenship."

For more:
- Broadcasting & Cable has this article
- FierceCable gives its take

Related articles:
The National Broadband Plan: Where do we go from here?
Levin re-joins FCC to steer broadband plan
Telstra agrees to sell wireline network to Australian government