FCC Adopts Speed Matters Recommendations in Broadband Ruling

In a victory for CWA's Speed Matters campaign, the Federal Communications Commission this week released its order raising its definition of "high speed" broadband service from 200 kilobits per second (kbps) to 768 kbps for downloading.  The definition hadn't been changed in nine years.

While the new definition is not quite the 2 megabits downstream and 1 megabit upstream that CWA urged, the FCC did adopt other CWA recommendations. Significantly, the new order requires broadband providers to report upload speeds as well as download speeds, acknowledging that most applications today – uploading video to YouTube, teleconferencing, telemedicine and interactive distance learning – require two-way communication.

Further, the FCC adopted another CWA Speed Matters recommendation to collect detailed information about the actual number of subscribers by census tract, moving away from its flawed methodology of claiming an area had broadband if there was only one subscriber in a zip code.  CWA was heavily involved in the rulemaking process.

There is one problem in the FCC Order that must be corrected, in CWA's view.  Unlike current data collection, this order does not require broadband providers to report separately the number of residential and business subscribers. Without this information, the FCC will not be able to track the number of households that subscribe to broadband — a key metric in any assessment of broadband adoption. CWA has already contacted the FCC about the need for this change.

The FCC Order makes passage of S. 1492 — the Broadband Data Improvement Act now pending in the Senate — more important than ever. S. 1492 and the companion H.R. 3919 that has already passed the House complement the new requirements in the FCC Broadband Data Order. The legislation would make funds available to states to collect broadband data and to create local public-private partnerships to create community plans to accelerate broadband availability and adoption.

Speed Matters is a CWA Strategic Industries Fund campaign to promote the rollout of faster Internet networks to create jobs and spur the U.S. economy.  For more information:  www.speedmatters.org.