The Federal Communications Commission is eyeing a
proposal to tax broadband Internet service.
The move would funnel money to the Connect America
Fund, a subsidy the agency created last year to expand Internet access.
The FCC issued a request
for comments on the proposal in April. Dozens of companies and trade
associations have weighed in, but the issue has largely flown under the
public's radar.
"If members of Congress understood that the FCC
is contemplating a broadband tax, they'd sit up and take notice," said
Derek Turner, research director for Free Press, a consumer advocacy group that
opposes the tax.
Numerous companies, including AT&T, Sprint and
even Google have expressed support for the idea.
Consumers already pay a fee on their landline and
cellular phone bills to support the FCC's Universal Service Fund. The fund was
created to ensure that everyone in the country has access to telephone service,
even if they live in remote areas.
Last year, the FCC overhauled a $4.5 billion portion
of the Universal Service Fund and converted it into a broadband Internet
subsidy, called the Connect America Fund. The new fund aims to subsidize the
construction of high-speed Internet networks to the estimated 19 million
Americans who currently lack access.
EDITORIAL NOTE: When can we expect an added tax on
our breathing?
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