FCC Chief: $7.2B is a start toward national broadband

Julius Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, said in comments posted Sunday that he realizes the $7.2 billion so far earmarked for creation of a national broadband infrastructure Relevant Products/Services falls far short of the amount that eventually will be needed. He said the FCC is looking at a number of funding mechanisms.

"There is no question that it will take a lot of private investment to do what's necessary," Genachowski told BusinessWeek editors. "And we're looking at what are the ways we can [provide incentives for] private investment. We've tried to lay out some cost estimates for what it would take to achieve different goals for the country. But how that investment gets made, over what time period, toward what end, and by whom is something we haven't tackled yet. That is the next phase of the process we are in..."