Press Release
FCC Out of Touch with Broadband Reality
Contact: Timothy Karr, 201-533-8838
WASHINGTON -- Free Press Policy Director Ben Scott told Congress today that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has failed to uphold its obligation to effectively collect data on broadband deployment across the United States.
Scott testified at a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet on a "discussion draft" of a bill that addresses the current lack of information about the availability, speed and value of broadband in the U.S.
"We cannot evaluate problems that we don't measure or study -- much less can we solve them," Scott said. "The bill under discussion would represent a leap forward in our knowledge about broadband markets and inevitably improve broadband policy."
The hearing coincides with the filing deadline for an FCC Notice of Inquiry (NOI) seeking input on whether high-speed broadband is being made available to all Americans. Free Press, Consumers Union and Consumer Federation of America filed comments outlining the FCC's failure to address the current deficiencies of the broadband market, and urging the Commission to develop and implement a comprehensive broadband policy.
"The Federal Communications Commission has abandoned its Congressional mandate to bring true high-speed broadband service to every American household," said S. Derek Turner, research director at Free Press. "Until the Commission recognizes the reality of the broadband problem, consumers will only be able to purchase high-priced, slow-speed Internet connections that aren't worthy of being called broadband."
The consumer groups have urged both Congress and the FCC to develop more rigorous criteria for the collection and analysis of broadband data. Some recommendations that the groups have put forward include: a flexible and evolving standard for what qualifies as advanced "high-speed" Internet services; a more targeted approach to reporting the availability of broadband; and more research on the structural problems of the Internet.
"The need for a change in broadband policy is urgent," concluded Scott. "Since better broadband data means better broadband policy, we should move this bill with all deliberate speed. We don't have any time to lose."
Ben Scott's full, prepared written testimony is available at http://www.freepress.net/docs/scott_testimony_5-17.pdf
The FCC filing is available at http://www.freepress.net/docs/cu_cfa_free_press_706_noi_comment.pdf
A webcast of the hearing is available at http://energycommerce.house.gov/
Scott testified at a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet on a "discussion draft" of a bill that addresses the current lack of information about the availability, speed and value of broadband in the U.S.
"We cannot evaluate problems that we don't measure or study -- much less can we solve them," Scott said. "The bill under discussion would represent a leap forward in our knowledge about broadband markets and inevitably improve broadband policy."
The hearing coincides with the filing deadline for an FCC Notice of Inquiry (NOI) seeking input on whether high-speed broadband is being made available to all Americans. Free Press, Consumers Union and Consumer Federation of America filed comments outlining the FCC's failure to address the current deficiencies of the broadband market, and urging the Commission to develop and implement a comprehensive broadband policy.
"The Federal Communications Commission has abandoned its Congressional mandate to bring true high-speed broadband service to every American household," said S. Derek Turner, research director at Free Press. "Until the Commission recognizes the reality of the broadband problem, consumers will only be able to purchase high-priced, slow-speed Internet connections that aren't worthy of being called broadband."
The consumer groups have urged both Congress and the FCC to develop more rigorous criteria for the collection and analysis of broadband data. Some recommendations that the groups have put forward include: a flexible and evolving standard for what qualifies as advanced "high-speed" Internet services; a more targeted approach to reporting the availability of broadband; and more research on the structural problems of the Internet.
"The need for a change in broadband policy is urgent," concluded Scott. "Since better broadband data means better broadband policy, we should move this bill with all deliberate speed. We don't have any time to lose."
Ben Scott's full, prepared written testimony is available at http://www.freepress.net/docs/scott_testimony_5-17.pdf
The FCC filing is available at http://www.freepress.net/docs/cu_cfa_free_press_706_noi_comment.pdf
A webcast of the hearing is available at http://energycommerce.house.gov/
