FCC: Broadband Needs To Have 25Mbps Minimum Speed

According to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, he proposed that the definition of broadband would need to be revised – after all, we are in 2015 already, and Wheeler suggests that the minimum broadband speed should be 25Mbps downstream from the current 4Mbps downstream, and 3Mbps and above as opposed to the current 1Mbps upstream value.

In the FCC’s most recent report, which has already been circulated by Wheeler in draft form to fellow commissioners, it points out that “broadband is not being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion, especially in rural areas, on Tribal lands, and in US Territories.”

In fact, the FCC chairman also mentioned that Americans should not subsidize Internet service that are under 10Mbps. The last revision of broadband’s definition was done in 2010, which saw a 200Kbps raise to the existing 4/1 standard. In the Telecommunications Act of 1996, it does mention that advanced telecommunications capability ought to “enable users to originate and receive high-quality voice, data, graphics, and video telecommunications using any technology.”

Wheeler’s proposed annual report claims that the 4/1 definition adopted in 2010 “is inadequate for evaluating whether broadband capable of supporting today’s high-quality voice, data, graphics, and video is being deployed to all Americans in a timely way.” Do you find that agreeable? If many other countries were to follow the FCC’s future definition of broadband, those countries might have to take a closer look at their infrastructure to keep up with the times.

Edwin Kee
Categories: Computers
Tags: FCC