Last night, the Federal Communications Commission released a fact sheet outlining the findings of their forthcoming broadband Internet service report in which the agency concludes that broadband “is not being deployed in a reasonable and timely fashion to all Americans.” Public Knowledge applauds the FCC for examining the facts as the agency works to encourage broadband expansion across the nation. The FCC will publish the full 2016 Broadband Progress Report Jan. 28 during the agency’s next Open Meeting.
The following may be attributed to Meredith Rose, Staff Attorney at Public Knowledge:
“Based on the fact sheet released by the Commission, it appears that the 2016 Broadband Report undertakes a comprehensive examination of the state of broadband deployment in the United States. The Report looked at hard evidence, and declines to ‘rubber stamp’ carriers’ claims of accessibility. This finding, and the data gathered for it, will allow policymakers to take an honest look at the broadband landscape and what needs to be done to ensure that all Americans have access to the quality broadband we need to ensure our digital future.
“Last year, more than 60 Senators and 115 members of the House from both parties sent letters urging the FCC to do more to promote deployment of high-speed broadband in rural areas. Last month, a report from the PEW Research Center found that, for the first time, the number of people subscribing to a home broadband connection actually dropped, largely as a result of increasing prices. As the 2016 Broadband Report fact sheet says, although broadband access providers have made progress in developing the technology for faster broadband speeds, this technology remains out of reach of millions of Americans. This is particularly true for rural Americans, Native American tribes, and the urban poor.”
You may view the FCC’s fact sheet here.
Members of the media may contact Communications Director Shiva Stella with inquiries, interview requests, or to join the Public Knowledge press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.