FCC Readies National Broadband Plan For March 17
The FCC will present its recommendations to Congress on March 17, according to chairman Julius Genachowski, who according to Reuters said that too many Americans don't or can't have broadband access.
"In the 21st century, a digital divide is an opportunity divide," Genachowski said in a statement. "To bolster American competitiveness abroad and create the jobs of the future here at home, we need to make sure that all Americans have the skills and means to fully participate in the digital economy."
The United States currently ranks 15th among nations for broadband access per 100 inhabitants, according to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). Only 26.7 percent of U.S. residents have broadband access, according to an OECD estimate, far off the pace of The Netherlands, which leads all countries with 38.1 percent of residents having broadband. U.S. broadband penetration is also growing slowly, with only a 2.2 percent net increase per 100 residents from June 2008 to June 2009, according to OECD. The U.S. ranked 14th in that regard.
Not only does the FCC want more access to broadband, it wants the broadband to be faster too. Last week Genachowski said he wants Internet service providers to offer a minimum connection speed of 100 megabits per second by 2020, compared with current industry estimates of less than 4 Mbps, according to Reuters. That plan came a week after Google Inc. said it plans to try a high-speed, fiber-optic broadband plan that could reach 1 gigabit per second.
Broadband subscribers now pay an average of $40.68 per month, according to the FCC. Stand-alone broadband subscribers pay an average of $46.25 per month, while those that get broadband bundled in with another service, such as phone or cable television, pay $37.70 per month. The FCC has identified affordability, digital literacy and relevance as the three main barriers to broadband access for the 90 million people that don't currently have it.
An FCC survey last Fall found that 36 percent of Americans said monthly fees and the cost of a computer hold them back from subscribing to broadband. Another 22 percent said they don't understand the technology and are concerned about inappropriate content or the safety of their personal information. Nineteen percent said the Internet is a waste of time or they have no interest in online content. A smaller percentage said they are satisfied with dial-up service.
