We're trying to fix this with the plan we've been floating. Now, the law says the transition ends in 2006 or - and the "or" is the only part that matters - 85 percent of Americans go buy a digital TV.

Broadband access is the great equalizer, leveling the playing field so that every willing and able person, no matter their station in life, has access to the information and tools necessary to achieve the American Dream.

I think people have a vague sense that the television system is changing.

We're trying to fix this with the plan we've been floating. Now, the law says the transition ends in 2006 or - and the "or" is the only part that matters - 85 percent of Americans go buy a digital TV.

Unlike the phone system, which is engineered around an application, the Internet layered model allows you to, in essence, separate applications from infrastructure.

I love my DSL, but I love my WiFi more. And I probably get on the Internet 40 percent to 50 percent more because of the combination of those technologies.

So as I look at transitioning to the communication platforms of the future, I see that the beauty of Internet protocols is you get the separation of the layers between service and technology.