FCC discusses emergency responder broadband plan

Part of the funding proposed in the National Broadband Plan, announced on Wednesday by the Federal Communications Commission, is for a $16 billion network that would provide broadband service to emergency responders. A day after the plan's announcement, the FCC launched a webpage to explain the network. Prior to the announcement, the organization discussed aspects of the plan at various conferences and in front of different bodies throughout the U.S. The webpage contains video clips of these discussions and a statement from FCC chairman Julius Genachowski about the first responder network. However, people want to know exactly how the government plans to fund the endeavor and at what cost to citizens. The organization did announce that any fee will be less than $1. The FCC also expects to seek $6.5 billion from Congress for the project in the near future, according to Computer World. The endorsement of high-speed internet by the federal government represents a major cultural shift in thinking. Eighty percent of 27,000 people polled throughout the world by GlobeScan believes that web access has become a basic human right. Those who do not use the internet in the U.S. may soon struggle to adjust.