“While the nation continues to make progress in broadband deployment”, the report out of FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s office reads, “advanced telecommunications capability is not being deployed in a reasonable and timely fashion to all Americans”.
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It’s even worse for those living on tribal lands as 41 percent of residents can’t obtain a fixed broadband connection. Jim Cicconi, AT&T Senior Executive Vice President, External and Legislative Affairs, said: “In order to apply its net neutrality rules to as many services as possible, the FCC considers very low speeds to be broadband then cites a much higher speed level in order to claim broadband is not being reasonably and timely deployed under Section 706 [of the Telecommunications Act]”.
The FCC’s broadband definition is politically controversial because the agency a year ago took the opportunity to revise its standard upward, from the previous broadband definition of 10 Mbps down, 1 Mbps up. That number dropped to 10 percent by the end of 2014, and that 10 percent represents 34 million Americans.
“Based on the fact sheet released by the Commission, it appears that the 2016 Broadband Report undertakes a comprehensive examination of the state of broadband deployment in the United States”.
And don’t forget $3.9 billion to replace the Tappan Zee Bridge, $3.8 billion in small-business tax cuts, a billion dedicated to sprucing up the New York State Thruway system, minimum-salary raises (to $15 per hour) for 28,000 SUNY employees and $5 million to study a tunnel under the Long Island Sound.
The full progress report is set to be published later this year. The first measured whether Internet providers deliver the speeds they advertise, and the second determined whether fast Internet speeds are being deployed to all Americans.
Advocacy group Public Knowledge suggested on Friday that the FCC’s findings could pave the way for new policies aimed at promoting broadband. “This finding, and the data gathered for it, will allow policymakers to take an honest look at the broadband landscape and what needs to be done to ensure that all Americans have access to the quality broadband we need to ensure our digital future”.
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In a News Release issued by the FCC on January 7, the regulator heralded an Order/Consent Decree (Consent Decree) entered into between the agency’s Enforcement Bureau (EB) and broadcaster Cumulus Media to resolve the Commission’s investigation into whether the company failed to comply with the sponsorship ID rules.
