The problem, as Larry Downes, a Senior Adjunct Fellow at TechFreedom, explains to us, is that the program is full of fraud and abuse. The program’s original intention was good but, since there was no cap, anyone who was eligible applied for service. As a result, the program grew and grew but had no checks and balances.

Now, the FCC says that is now going to audit the program and projects that it will save $3 billion. With this savings, it plans to initiate a pilot program to bring broadband to eligible participants.

However, Downes told us that the FCC doesn’t have the authority to this. In addition, the agency is beginning its broadband plan before its checks and balances are implemented. Downes is concerned that the FCC will have already spent the money before it finds out if its reforms are adequate.

Although the FCC released its order this week, it could potentially be reversed if a group or party tries to challenge it.

While the “spectrum crunch” issue is not disputed, the way in which new spectrum would be distributed is sparking a big debate in Washington. The solution involves putting the spectrum that is no longer used by broadcast radio and television companies up for auction. However, the problem is between policymakers and the FCC. Legislators want to hold open auctions for the spectrum, but the FCC wants to have the power to say who is and isn’t included in the auction.

According to Bruce Mehlman, the former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Tech Policy and the Co-Chair of the Internet Innovation Alliance, open auctions are the better alternative for users and the U.S. economy. As he explained, old government decisions that set limitations are the reason for the current mess. He, therefore, believes that the market should be open for anyone who wants to participate in the auction to have the opportunity to do so.

“The biggest challenge is if the FCC gets its way… I think the spectrum crunch these very auctions are expected to alleviate doesn’t get alleviated… then problems continue,” said Mehlman.

Incidentally, several small wireless carriers including Sprint and T-Mobile, recently asked lawmakers to preserve the FCC’s authority in auctions. Verizon and AT&T are not in favor of this preservation because they believe the FCC could favor the smaller mobile players.

What’s the answer for the spectrum crunch? Please let us know your thoughts.

WebProNews spoke with former Congressman and Internet Innovation Alliance Honorary Chairman Rick Boucher about these questions and others, who gave us his perspective on the companies. Congressman Boucher supported the merger, as he told us in a prior interview, because he believed it would bring innovation, help the economy, and produce jobs.

He told us that, although AT&T would not be able to complete its goals in the same time frame it would have if the deal had gone through, he believed it could still meet them. The Congressman also said T-Mobile was a strong company, and he believed it would remain a player in the mobile industry. However, its biggest challenge will be gaining the capital it needs to deploy 4G.

Even though he thinks the companies will bounce back from this hurdle, Congressman Boucher told us that the mobile industry, consumers, and the economy would be impacted long-term.

What’s your prediction for the future of AT&T and T-Mobile? Let us know in the comments.

Former Congressman Rick Boucher, who is also the Honorary Chairman of the Internet Innovation Alliance (IIA), is among this group of supporters because he believes the deal would be advantageous for innovation, the economy, and job creation. He spoke with WebProNews and said that the merger would not only achieve broadband deployment, but that it would also help fulfill the President’s goal of having 98 percent of the country have access to broadband.

For these reasons and others, he believes that it will be approved. Do you agree?

If you think this is some kind of joke, well, you’re right. Sunday was April Fools’ day, and Google and a number of other tech companies and a handful of bloggers posted their pranks for others to enjoy. The Google announcement quoted company co-founder Larry Page as part of the gag: “Our Toilet ISP team is pleased to be leading the way through the sewers, up out of your toilet and – splat – right onto your PC.”

Ask.com product manager Ryan Massie thinks his company has the formula for success when it comes to the local search market. Massie told attendees at the Kelsey Group’s ‘Drilling Down on Local’ conference, “When someone comes to that search box and we give them exactly what we want–the right result, the right content, take them to the right page–they’re going to come back. That’s success.” Ask launched their local search product, Ask City, earlier this year.

Long running technology journal InfoWorld will come to an end in the world of print. Publisher IDG will focus on InfoWorld’s online version as well as events they will host. InfoWorld.com vice president Virginia Hines said on the site the move would, “remove the distraction of maintaining and fretting over a costly, nearly obsolete distribution channel.” The print version ends in April.

Viacom general counsel Michael Fricklas said YouTube is not protected by the DMCA when it comes to copyright infringement. Fricklas said in a Washington Post op-ed piece that DMCA safe harbor provisions are “not available to someone who ‘derives a financial benefit’ from copyrighted material he stores if he has the “right and ability to control” it.” Viacom is suing YouTube and Google for one billion dollars over infringement.