[LINK] defining broadband

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

"U.S. wants to define broadband .."
 
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE57J72620090820


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. telecommunications regulators on Thursday 
sought public comment on how to define "broadband," a step that could 
impact how the industry delivers Internet services to consumers.

The Federal Communications Commission issued a fact-finding notice on its 
website (www.fcc.gov) seeking the public's input as it drafts a national 
broadband plan that is slated to be submitted to Congress in mid-February.

The notice to define broadband also sets the stage for how regulators 
should proceed in trying to determine several issues such as speed, 
accessibility, affordability and increasing subscribership.

Among the questions posed is how often that definition should be updated.

"A static definition will fail to address changing needs and habits," the 
FCC notice said.

The United States lags behind many European and Asian countries in terms 
of broadband speed.

A 2008 study by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and 
Development showed that the United States ranked 19th with an advertised 
rate of 9.6 mbps. 

The top three countries were Japan with 92.8 mbps, Korea with 80.8 mbps 
and France with 51 mbps.

The current U.S. base standard speed for any applicant that wants to 
participate in Obama's $7.2 billion economic stimulus program for 
expanding the U.S. broadband infrastructure is at least 768 kbps.

The speed issue, including the difference between advertised and actual 
rates, is among many concerns that are being addressed during a series of 
FCC workshops being held this month and next.

"In most cases the 'advertised' throughput speed has a tenuous relation 
with the actually delivered speed," Carlos Kirjner, the FCC chairman's 
senior adviser on broadband, said on the agency's new broadband blog.

Officials are seeking data and ideas on how to improve affordable high-
speed Internet services for low-income families, education, health and 
medicine, homeland security, the environment and transportation. 

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Cheers,
Stephen