Broadband expansion speeded up

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators approved new rules Thursday aimed at making high-speed Internet available to more Americans — but critics complained the move will hinder competition in broadband services and keep prices high.

The Federal Communications 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.

BellSouth requested the change so it could build networks to just outside a customer’s home and reach more residences at once — rather than having to lay down fiber to each household. In a statement, the company said the decision would bring broadband service to more consumers, more quickly.

Democratic Commissioner Michael Copps voted against the proposal, calling it wrong and dangerous. He said loosening the rules for the major phone companies keeps smaller players from getting into the market.

The agency is “returning to the failed and non-competitive policies of the past,” Copps said.