FCC plan to increase broadband coverage in US
The US Federal Communications Commission wants to increase high-speed Internet in America. The New York Times reports:
The Federal Communications Commission is proposing an ambitious 10-year plan that will reimagine the nation’s media and technology priorities by establishing high-speed Internet as the country’s dominant communication network.
The plan, which will be submitted to Congress on Tuesday, is likely to generate debate in Washington and a lobbying battle among the telecommunication giants, which over time may face new competition for customers. Already, the broadcast television industry is resisting a proposal to give back spectrum the government wants to use for future mobile service.
In the meantime, the FCC is instituting a service to help gather statistics on broadband coverage and usage. The Times article notes:
In a move that could affect policy decisions years from now, the F.C.C. will begin assessing the speeds and costs of consumer broadband service. Until then, consumers can take matters into their own hands with a new suite of online and mobile phone applications released by the F.C.C. that will allow them to test the speed of their home Internet and see if they’re paying for data speeds as advertised.
PC World describes the new FCC service for measuring and reporting your own broadband speed:
The Federal Communications Commission recently launched a free broadband speed test you can use to check the speed of your Internet connection. The test will reveal how fast your connection lets you upload and download data, as well as other provide information about high-speed Internet service. You can then compare your FCC test results with the speeds promised by your Internet service provider (ISP).
You can find the test on the homepage of broadband.gov, but before you use it there are a few things you should know about the broadband test. This isn’t just a free public service; the FCC will store your test data and could use some of your information to form its national broadband strategy.
The new FCC site is here.
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