The FCC has finally shifted the definition of broadband from 200kbps to 768kbps, says Broadband Reports. The agency says (pdf) they’ll also start tracking both downstream and upstream speeds and will scrap the zip code tracking methodology for more detailed census-track level reporting.
Carriers still won’t be required to release data on the prices they charge for different speeds.
“When companies and investors put money into e-commerce or voice over Internet Protocol or Internet video…they need to know what kind of broadband infrastructure America actually has,” said Democratic Commissioner Michael Copps.
Highlights:
- Broadband service speeds will have to be reported both for uploads and downloads. Pro-regulatory advocacy groups like Free Press say that’s a necessary step in part because of Comcast’s admitted throttling of peer-to-peer file-sharing uploads.
- Upload and download speeds will have to be reported. In an attempt to remove the potential to overstate the number of high-end subscriptions and understate the number of low-end subscriptions. Those new tiers will be: 1) 200Kbps to 768Kbps (”first generation data”); 2) 768Kbps to 1.5Mbps (”basic broadband”); 3) 1.5Mbps to 3Mbps; 4) 3Mbps to 6Mbps; and 5) 6Mbps and above.
- ISPs will be required to report numbers of subscribers, and at the census-block level. They’ll have to report the number of subscribers in each census tract they serve, broken down by speed tier. Census tracts include demographic statistics collected by the U.S. Census, such as age and income level, to gain insight about what drives broadband penetration rates.
Each of the five commissioners voted in favor of adopting the order, although some attached reservations about some portions of the rules. Democratic Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said, “This is really the first step toward the national broadband strategy that we so desperately need.”
The new rules won’t take effect until feedback is taken into account, likely taking several months.
