The Federal Communications Commission approved new rules Thursday aimed at making high-speed Internet available to more Americans. The Commission gave its blessing to a proposal that lets the major regional phone companies build fiber-optic networks to within 500 feet of a customer's home without requiring the companies to share their networks with competitors. Currently, the former Baby Bell companies don't have to lease their networks for fiber that is installed directly to the home. The new rule extends that regulation to within 500 feet of a residence. However, critics complained the move will hinder competition in broadband services and keep prices high.
Separately, the commission voted to set ground rules for the deployment of another type of high-speed Internet access — broadband over power lines, known as BPL. This technology is still in its infancy, with only a handful of companies offering broadband over electric power lines to fewer than 5,000 customers nationwide. The transmissions, however, can cause interference with ham radio operators who have complained loudly to the FCC. The agency said its rules would limit interference by BPL providers by using devices that would skip frequencies the amateur radio operators use.
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