FCC chief drops filters to save free broadband


Before he steps down as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Kevin Martin still hopes to win approval for his plan to auction off a slice of the airwaves for a free, nationwide wireless broadband network. To increase the chances that his proposal will win the support of his fellow commissioners, Martin said he has removed one especially contested element: a requirement that the provider of the wireless network filter internet content to block any material deemed inappropriate for children.

Like the rest of his plan, Martin's proposal to build a family-friendly broadband network by blocking objectionable web sites was loosely based on the business model of a startup called M2Z Networks. (See "Free broadband plan raises critics' ire.")

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