FCC Bumps Baseline Broadband Definition To 25Mbps

[rewni]

Agreed. I honestly don't even hear it anymore, won't these companies just continue to call it "high-speed internet?"

 

[maxwellmelon]

Broadband is original definition of the use of multi freq to transmit data. not how fast it is. instead of transmitting on one freq they use a bunch at once

 

[brucek2]

Its good for the government to finally acknowledge the market reality that most consumers are already all too aware of: the only actual high speed connection available is from the cable company. They have no competition, and they will continue to have no competition, because the government granted them a monopoly on running coax to the home.

While my first preference would be for a true free market allowing competition to drive down prices and push up performance; in the absence thereof, its appropriate that government regulate the monopolies it creates to protect the public interest.

 

[rawoysters]

"This has not been confirmed by the FCC, and the link to the yearly FCC Broadband Report above does not include the word 'vote' or discuss any such vote of any kind" . No, it doesn't, but this is from the Guardian,"In a 3-2 vote, the commission approved a measure that increases the minimum standard for broadband speed, giving the agency more power to force internet service providers to improve their service".

 

[wysiwygbill]

Without competition among internet service providers prices will make it too expensive for many people to get really high speeds anyway. If Google or others move into an area then Comcast and the like are forced to lower prices to compete. Other than that they keep prices as high as possible without users deciding to do without it.

 

[thasan1]

@mrmez, where do you live man? In my area we get 1mb for like 10$ and in some places twice the speed for that sum of money! I now am greatful to my country thanks you.

 

[f-14]

so how much of this could be fixed by removing the 56k speed cap regulation on dial from back in the serial rapist pot smoker slippery willy clinton years? seems to me if you can get 6mb/s on the same wires ma bell installed back in the 1940s this should also be possible with dial up. screw the excuse it makes hacking easier. we know have caller ID and computers logging calls at both the phone company and the NSA, so that excuse point is now moot.

 

[mrmez]

@mrmez, where do you live man? In my area we get 1mb for like 10$ and in some places twice the speed for that sum of money! I now am greatful to my country thanks you.

Perth, Australia.
Super expensive here. Cars are the worst.

911 Turbo:
USA $151,000 USD
AUS $310,000 USD
There s a 2nd hand 2013 Aventador 50th anniversary for only $856,000USD. Bargain.

Same with houses, food, anything. Pay through the arse, but at least we get free gov't health care.

 

[tygrus]

They should give it a unique name. Keep the old definition of "broadband" but create a "Broadband L2" or "Broadband 2015" or "Broadband 25+03" standard. Then they can create reports and show 2 tables/columns showing the rates of old & new standards. People can then still compare over time and choose the definition they prefer. After a few years the old definition could be used less and everyone that tries to compare new rates with the old reports will still know which is which. Arbitrary change might seem simple but it can create a lot of confusion and incomparable data.

 

[Linus3]

If true, I applaud the FCC for nudging the US along.
Personally I think the the internet "Super Highway" is rather like a nice country lane here. What we really need is buried (where possible) fiber optic cable to every school, emergency facility, neighborhood. We need it down every Interstate Highway and under all the State divided highways. (How about about WiFi everywhere on the roads?) What about having medical devices in small towns and on islands so that a medtech or nurse practitioner can make & transmit x-rays, diagnostic blood samples, etc., to doctors far away?)
I figure we should at least try to get the up/down in the 1 GB range to compete with South Korea and Singapore. And make it realistic for a massive shift in employment and the whole economy.
And by burying the cable we can harden ourselves from outages caused by Nature.