WSJ's Mossberg wants a broadband plan with teeth

Wall Street Journal technology columnist Walt Mossberg is glad the federal government is finally creating a national broadband plan, but wishes it were more aggressive about broadband speed and less vague about the details. 

Mossberg also said the plan is too focused on expanding access into rural areas.

“That’s like motherhood, everyone wants to vote for that and I certainly support that,” Mossberg said. But there are two other issues that he said don’t receive enough attention: speed and cost.

“There are plans and services that are sold in this country as broadband which wouldn’t even be allowed to be labeled broadband in a lot of other countries they’re so slow,” Mossberg said. “And yet, at the very same time we pay more per unit of broadband speed than anyone else. So there’s something wrong in my opinion.”

Mossberg said improving the country’s broadband access would be crucial to its economic competitiveness.

“We need a strong broadband policy on the part of the government not to run or take over broadband, but to set the private sector and the society on a course where we can make sure that we always have the kind of speed, availability and affordability of broadband that will allow the innovation around it that will keep us competitive or hopefully ahead of other countries and I do worry about that,” he said.