DooKey
[H]F Junkie
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2001
- Messages
- 14,131
The FCC may vote next month on a proposed change to the definition of landline broadband that lowers the threshold from 25/4 to 10/1Mbps down/up speeds. The 25/4 definition was established in 2015. Also, they may be considering counting cellular data speeds that meet the 10/1 definition as a subsitute for the landline definition. This means if you get cellular data and it meets the established threshold then you will be considered to have broadband available.
Even if the FCC doesn’t lower the landline definition of broadband, adding cellular broadband into the test will mean that millions of homes would now be considered to have adequate broadband. That is a significant change, because by law, the FCC is mandated to work towards bringing broadband to any parts of the US that don’t have it. In effect, by a definition change the FCC will have done away with a lot of the digital divide. And if they lower the definition of landline broadband they will categorize even more homes as having adequate broadband.
Even if the FCC doesn’t lower the landline definition of broadband, adding cellular broadband into the test will mean that millions of homes would now be considered to have adequate broadband. That is a significant change, because by law, the FCC is mandated to work towards bringing broadband to any parts of the US that don’t have it. In effect, by a definition change the FCC will have done away with a lot of the digital divide. And if they lower the definition of landline broadband they will categorize even more homes as having adequate broadband.