[IP] New report on state of US broadband - Broadband Reality Check
Begin forwarded message:
From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: August 11, 2005 2:26:57 AM EDT
To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <dewayne-net@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Dewayne-Net] New report on state of US broadband -
Broadband Reality Check
Reply-To: dewayne@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Free Press, the Consumer Federation of America and Consumers
Union released a report today detailing the ways in which the FCC's
recent positive assessment of US broadband penetration is misleading
and glosses over serious problems behind an ever-widening digital
divide.
The three groups have called on Congress to take notice of
alarming trends and enact clear policies that will free the broadband
market from domination by a handful of large cable and
telecommunications companies. Their recommendations include ensuring
open access to all high-speed communications networks, removing
restrictions on public entities that seek to offer broadband services
to consumers, and opening up more of the broadcast spectrum for
wireless Internet applications.
A full copy of the report, Broadband Reality Check, is available
at:
<http://www.freepress.net/docs/broadband_report.pdf>
Among the findings:
· The FCC overstates broadband penetration rates. The FCC
report considers a ZIP code covered by broadband service if just one
person subscribes. No consideration is given to price, speed or
availability of that connection throughout the area.
· The FCC misrepresents exactly how many connections are "high-
speed." The FCC defines "high-speed" as 200 kilobits per second,
barely enough to receive low-quality streaming video and far below
what other countries consider to be a high-speed connection.
· The United States remains 16th in the world in broadband
penetration per capita. The United States also ranks 16th in terms of
broadband growth rates, suggesting our world ranking won't improve
any time soon. On a per megabit basis, U.S. consumers pay 10 to 25
times more than broadband users in Japan.
· Despite FCC claims, digital divide persists and is growing
wider. Broadband adoption is largely dependent on socio-economic
status. In addition, broadband penetration in urban and suburban in
areas is double that of rural areas.
· Reports of a broadband "price war" are misleading. Analysis
of "low-priced" introductory offers by companies like SBC and Comcast
reveal them to be little more than bait-and-switch gimmicks.
· The FCC ignores the lack of competition in the broadband
market. Cable and DSL providers control almost 98 percent of the
residential and small-business broadband market. Yet the FCC recently
eliminated "open access" requirements for DSL companies to lease
their lines, rules that fostered the only true competition in the
broadband market.
Weblog at: <http://weblog.warpspeed.com>
-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as roessler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To manage your subscription, go to
http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip
Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/