FCC: Americans need faster Internet
| WASHINGTON
The US Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday proposed changing the definition of聽high-speed Internet聽to require download speeds of 10 megabits per second (Mbps) or faster to qualify as聽broadband.
The commission currently defines聽broadband, or high-speed Internet, as 4 Mbps download speed and 1 Mbps upload speed. The agency will seek public comment on whether those threshold connection speeds should be increased.
In a "notice of inquiry" released on Tuesday, the FCC suggested that download speeds might need to be 10 Mbps to qualify as聽broadband聽and asked whether the minimum upload speed rate should also be higher.
U.S. consumers are increasingly using the Web to stream music and videos, or for interactive services and applications, that continue to demand faster speeds. For instance, the popular service聽Netflix聽Inc recommends a 5 Mbps Internet connection speed to stream video in high definition.
The FCC has the authority to regulate Internet service providers (ISPs) such as Verizon Communications Inc,聽Comcast聽Corp and AT&T Inc as it oversees the roll-out of聽broadband聽services to all Americans "in a reasonable and timely fashion" directed by the U.S. telecommunications law.
The FCC's annual reviews have found that a notable portion of the U.S. population, particularly in rural areas, lacks access to聽high-speed Internet.
A higher speed threshold for聽broadband, if adopted, could mean an even smaller part of the U.S. population is deemed as having access to聽broadband聽Internet. It could also reduce the areas of the country where the FCC considers聽high-speed Internet聽to be available.
In its latest report on progress in聽broadband聽deployment, in 2012, the FCC found that 19 million, or 6 percent, of Americans lacked access to fixed聽broadband聽service. In rural areas, the FCC found one-fourth of the population without access to such聽high-speed Internet.
The agency will now collect comments on a potential change of聽broadband聽definition for 45 days as it prepares a new聽Broadband聽Progress Report, an FCC official said.
