Important points
- Improvements in internet technology have prompted the FCC to redefine broadband, which is now set at 100Mbps download speeds and 20Mbps upload speeds.
- The FCC wants to make 1Gbps/500Mbps connections the new standard for broadband as technology advances in the United States.
- According to the FCC report, 24 million Americans lack fixed broadband access, with rural and tribal areas the most affected. The new regulations aim to improve access.
Do you know what is classified as “broadband”? For some time, the FCC has considered a connection with a download speed of 25Mbps and an upload speed of 3Mbps to be able to be advertised as a “broadband connection.” This was set in 2015 and was probably a good benchmark at the time. But while both internet technology and Wi-Fi routers have advanced since then, the definition has remained the same. Now, on the eve of a decade of silence on the issue, the FCC has issued a statement declaring that any Internet connection slower than 100Mbps download and 20Mbps upload is not legally considered a broadband connection.
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The definition of “broadband” in the US gets a long-awaited upgrade
The news was revealed today in a document published by FCC News. In his PDF document titled “FCC Increases Broadband Speed Benchmark,” the regulator said:
The Commission’s report, issued under Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, raises the Commission’s high-speed fixed broadband benchmarks to download speeds of 100 megabits per second and upload speeds of 20 megabits per second. This is four times faster than traditional communication speeds. 25/3 Mbps benchmark set by the Commission in 2015.
The FCC says this new limit was selected based on both customer needs and internet provider capabilities. But the FCC believes the U.S. Internet system can evolve even further. We aim to make 1Gbps/500Mbps connectivity the new standard for future broadband.
FCC report reveals America’s internet infrastructure is lacking
While this news is welcome for those tired of slow internet, the report also details what the FCC thinks about the current progress of the US’ internet rollout. As it turned out, it turned out not to be very happy.
The report concludes that advanced telecommunications capabilities:
do not have
in a reasonable and timely manner based on the total number of Americans, rural Americans, and people living on tribal lands who do not have access to such capabilities, and the fact that these gaps in deployment are not being closed quickly enough. deployed in a suitable manner.
According to the report, 24 million Americans lack access to “fixed terrestrial broadband services” other than satellite, including 28% of people in rural areas and 23% of people in tribal areas. There is. 45 million Americans do not have access to either a 100Mbps/20Mbps internet connection or a 35/3Mbps 5G connection, and 9% of Americans do not meet the aforementioned 5G requirements. not. Therefore, it is expected that the FCC’s new regulations will encourage her ISPs in the US to pick up the pace and boost connectivity across the country.
