CC Chairman Ajit Pai circulated the draft of the 2018 Broadband Deployment Report among his colleagues. The agency’s responsibility for issuing the annual report was spelled out in the 1996 Telecommunications Act.
The draft report maintains the same benchmark speed for fixed broadband service previously adopted by the Commission: 25 Mbps download/3 Mbps upload. It also concludes that mobile broadband service is not a full substitute for fixed service. Instead, the document notes there are differences between the two technologies, including clear variations in consumer preferences and demands, according to the Chairman.
“The draft report indicates the pace of both fixed and mobile broadband deployment declined dramatically in the two years following the prior Commission’s Title II Order,” stated Pai. “However, the draft report also discussed how, over the course of the past year, the current Commission has taken steps to reduce barriers to infrastructure investment and promote competition in the broadband marketplace.”
He indicated the policies show the current FCC is now meeting its statutory mandate to encourage the deployment of broadband on a reasonable and timely basis. “But while we are now headed in the right direction, our work has just begun,” stated Pai. “Far too many Americans still lack access to high-speed internet, and that’s why the FCC’s top priority under my leadership remains bridging the digital divide and bringing digital opportunity to all Americans.”
January 19, 2018
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