Earlier this month we reported about Microsoft’s Security Chief, Scott Charney, making the suggestion that the government should tax broadband users in an effort to subsidize steps to ensure computers accessing the Internet are secure. It seems that Charney’s idea about a broadband tax to keep people safe is shared by the FCC. The FCC is also proposing a tax on broadband users, except the money won’t go toward ensuring computers are free of viruses and malware before accessing the Internet. Details of the plan are contained within the FCC’s National Broadband Plan.

Here’s the section relating to the tax:

Recognizing that Americans will obtain substantial benefits from the creation of this network, imposing a minimal public safety fee on all U.S. broadband users would be a fair, sustainable and reasonable funding mechanism. The fee should be sufficient to support the operation and evolution of the public safety broadband wireless network.

Under the FCC’s proposal they would use a broadband tax to fund the creation and ongoing maintenance of a national public safety wireless broadband network which would cover 99% of the population. The network would be built on the 700 MHz spectrum which was allocated by the FCC to be used for public safety communication.

The cost of the network is projected to be $12-16 billion over a ten year period. To be fair, the plan doesn’t mention a tax. The FCC refers to it as a public safety fee which, if approved by Congress, would be added to bills related to broadband access.