14 DAY TRIAL // It may be 2009 but some government agencies are just now getting their feet wet when it comes to this new fangled contraption called a blog. The US Federal Communications Commission, the independent government agency that regulates all communications in the country including Internet ones, is looking to overhaul its image and has launched Blogband to keep people informed and get feedback on the National Broadband Plan.
“The National Broadband Plan is one of the most important initiatives that the FCC has ever undertaken. To foster public dialogue about the National Broadband Plan, we’re tapping the power of the Internet to launch a new FCC blog, called Blogband. What better time to start blogging than now? With just 183 days before our deadline to send the National Broadband Plan to Congress, we need as many people involved as possible,” FCC chairman Julius Genachowski wrote in the first post on the new blog.
The National Broadband Plan is a new initiative to create a cohesive and focused plan for better broadband coverage sponsored by government grants. The plan got several billion from the Obama administration and is still in the early stages. The FCC is looking for feedback from organizations and telecommunications corporations but also the average Joe and has taken it a step further with the new blog and also a Twitter account.
With about six months left until the plan is supposed to be sent to Congress the FCC wants to keep everyone informed, making the new blog an avenue for updates on the upcoming plan. The agency also hopes the new blog will make it easier for people to enter the discussion and have their ideas heard but it remains to be seen whether this will be achieved. Along with the new blog the agency is also launching the @fccdotgov Twitter account, which is getting close to 1,000 followers though it has yet to follow anyone.