Lawmakers have called upon the FCC to finally update their definition of broadband internet. The FCC definition allows service providers to advertise their internet service as “broadband,” even if its speeds are what someone would consider lackluster. The FCC definition of broadband also contributes to contracts with local, state, and federal government that internet providers must follow. Internet providers often have regional monopolies, and therefore have to make deals with local governments to provide a certain percentage of their customers with broadband.
However, this definition is just too low. It has allowed the United States to fall behind internet speed rankings for years. Americans pay some of the highest prices for “broadband,” but are seeing the lowest and least consistent speeds. Changing the definition of broadband in the United States could force these companies to upgrade their service and fulfill their contracts.
After a year of the pandemic, where the internet became a vital tool for business and socialization, it’s never been more clear that broadband internet isn’t a luxury, it’s a right.
In This Article:
Proposed Speeds
Four U.S. senators, Joe Manchin (D-WV), Rob Portman (R-OH), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Angus King (I-ME), sent a letter to the acting FCC Chairperson, Jessica Rosenworcel. The senators are a bipartisan group, and have agreed that broadband needs to improve in the United States. One of the ways to do that is to redefine broadband’s definition. Companies will then have to meet the higher requirements to be able to market “broadband,” forcing them to do upgrades. They may also have to provide faster service as part of deals with local or federal government.
The letter requests that the FCC changes its definition of broadband internet from 25Mbps downloads, 3Mbps uploads to 100Mbps down, 100Mbps up. The new symmetry between downloads and uploads is to address the fact that, thanks to video conferencing, data uploads are more important than ever before. In fact, due to the pandemic, the increased speed is vitally important. A house with “broadband” may struggle to do basic work tasks, especially if it has multiple people accessing the internet at once.
Increased Demand, Increased Speeds
In the letter, senators pointed out that, “Over the next five years, if current trends hold, data needs are expected to increase annually by at least 25% per year.” The current definition of broadband is just 25Mbps and 3Mbps upload. It was set back in 2015. Before that, it was 4Mbps down, 1Mbps upload, which was set in 2010. Both times, the rates were already behind the times for what customers expected from “broadband internet.” 100Mbps is a minimum that is already attainable, with some areas already offering gigabit internet, that is, 1,000Mbps (1Gbps). Once again, the minimum definition for broadband won’t be as high as it should be, but will make a great difference for many Americans who aren’t seeing 100Mbps download speeds.
Go ahead and test your internet speed. Are you getting 100Mbps download, 100Mbps upload? If not, this new bipartisan suggested change could make a huge difference for you as well.
While the change will be popular with consumers, ISPs will, as they always have in the past, fight against the change. Fortunately, Acting FCC Chairperson Jessica Rosenworcel has supported increasing broadband speeds before, and may be willing to redefine broadband to help American consumers.
Leveling the Playing Field
“For years, we have seen billions in taxpayer dollars subsidize network deployments that are outdated as soon as they are complete, lacking in capacity and failing to replace inadequate broadband infrastructure.”
– From senator’s statement on broadband
Without access to affordable broadband, may people living in rural areas or low-income areas of cities don’t have access to the same ability to work from home as those with faster speeds. Effectively, those already living below the poverty line experienced a freeze in wealth mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic. They can’t gain access to the internet speeds that could allow them to work and learn from home. Those in remote areas of the country have often rely on expensive data plans that deliver sub-optimal speeds over cellular networks. They’ve been left out of technological progress and careers.
Where gigabit internet is available in the United States, only 4% of people are subscribing to it. That means that, even with poor coverage, only few can actually afford or gain access to gigabit internet. By increasing the definition of broadband, the government will force competition between ISPs. They’ll also give cities, states, and even the federal government more bargaining power when it comes to improving infrastructure.
Parents looking to work while their children are streaming their lessons have experienced the heavy burden that slow internet puts on us. Internet, and along with it, high-speed internet, is no longer a luxury good. It’s necessary for modern day business and learning.
Broken Broadband Promises
Even when we define broadband speeds, ISPs have historically found their way around regulations and deals. In NYC, NJ, and PA, Verizon broke promises on proposed expansions. In 2015, PA and NJ allowed Verizon to go without a fine, but New York held them to the deal. Verizon failed to provide fiber optic internet to every household in New York City, as they had promised. Now, they’ll have to add 500,000 new households between 2020 and 2023, focusing on low-income areas, or face a fine of up to $7.5 million.
In Mississippi, regulators found that AT&T was misreporting the number of broadband customers. They claimed to have availability at addresses in areas, but independent research found otherwise. AT&T didn’t meet the thresholds of their deal in Mississippi, but lied about it.
All over the United States, ISPs have taken advantage of local governments willing to consider previous investments in service as a sunk cost. They’ve allowed ISPs to take advantage of taxpayers who foot the bill for these expansions that never happen. However, with renewed interest in broadband, and NYC taking Verizon to task, we could see attitudes around lackluster internet speeds shift towards consumers’ favor.
Catching Up
The United States hasn’t been ahead of the curve when it comes to broadband speed. While it has improved over the past decade, other developed nations are still beating the United States in broadband speeds, and often at lower costs. According to Ookla’s testing, we’re not cracking the top 10. This is because the U.S. has largely allowed ISPs to renege on deals to expand broadband service, which already has a broad and easy to meet definition. As a result, they don’t need to work very hard. Our definition of broadband is too low, and we’re not forcing ISPs to actually offer their speeds to consumers. They’re given regional monopolies, but still face little regulation. The end result is a profits-driven business with little thought paid to the customer.
The United States is behind in the world. If we want to catch up, we’re going to have to redefine what we think of when we think of broadband internet.
Sources:
- K. Bell, Engadget
- Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, [2], [3], [4]
- Joanna Nelius, Gizmodo
- Ookla, Accessed 2021-03-08