Skip the navigation
)
News

Definition of 'broadband' still a secret in U.S. plan

Some minimum speeds will be set in final document, its author says

March 4, 2010 11:44 AM ET

Computerworld - The National Broadband Plan is due to reach Congress in two weeks, but there is still some mystery about how the plan will define the term "broadband."

The plan's chief author, Blair Levin, said in an interview Wednesday that it will set specific minimum speeds that Internet service providers will have to deliver in order to qualify for funds from the Federal Communication Commission's Universal Service Fund. But Levin revealed few details because the plan is undergoing more refinements before it is sent to Congress on March 17.

Asked how the plan actually defines broadband, Levin was noncommittal and indicated the answer was somewhat controversial.

"Let me not answer that," said Levin, the executive director of the FCC's Omnibus Broadband Initiative. He spoke in a wide-ranging interview about some features of the plan and its overarching goals to provide fast Internet connections to more Americans as part of an effort to support economic growth.

However, he noted that FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski's call for getting Internet service speeds of 100Mbit/sec. to 100 million U.S homes as one indication of what broadband goals for the nation should be.

When pressed to name the minimum speed that will define broadband in the plan, Levin also refused to give one and explained, "We will certainly be saying, Here's what is required under the Universal Service Fund [for Internet service providers] and you'd better be able to produce these speeds."

The USF, created by the FCC in 1996, is designed to support telecommunications services in underserved areas, although reforms have been suggested by many groups for years.

Levin added that the minimum speeds in the plan will be "faster than dial-up," which is similar to how a recent survey sponsored by the FCC referred to the term "broadband." The survey described home broadband users as those who have almost any Internet connection other than dial-up, such as a cable modem, DSL, fixed wireless, satellite, fiber optic, T-1 or a mobile broadband wireless connection.

Cable and DSL, the most widely used home Internet connections, can theoretically reach speeds of 30Mbit/sec. and 10Mbit/sec., respectively, but average speeds are often much slower.

Matt Hamblen covers mobile and wireless, smartphones and other handhelds, and wireless networking for Computerworld. Follow Matt on Twitter at Twitter @matthamblen or subscribe to Matt's RSS feed @matthamblen or subscribe to Hamblen RSS. His e-mail address is mhamblen@computerworld.com.

Read more about Broadband in Computerworld's Broadband Topic Center.



What is Tech Briefcase?
TechBriefcase is a new, free service where IT Professionals can Search, Store and Share IT white papers and content like this. Learn more
Bookmark content
Speed up your research efforts with content across the web.
Search and Store
Find the white papers you need. Create folders for any topic.
View Anywhere
Open your briefcase on your iPhone, tablet or desktop. Share with colleagues.
Don't have an account yet?
Additional Resources
Security KnowledgeVault
WHITE PAPER
Security is not an option. This KnowledgeVault Series offers professional advice how to be proactive in the fight against cybercrimes and multi-layered security threats; how to adopt a holistic approach to protecting and managing data; and how to hire a qualified security assessor. Make security your Number 1 priority.

Read now.

Cut Communications Costs Once and for All
WHITE PAPER
New IP-based communications systems are being deployed by small and midsized businesses at a rapid rate. Learn how these organizations are enabling faster responsiveness, creating better customer experiences, speeding office or mobile interactions, and dramatically reducing existing communications costs.

Read now.

Broadband White Papers
Practice Management: Double Billing Rate and Improve Patient Services
Would you like to double your billing rate and achieve faster payment for services?

Download this customer success story to see how One Health...
Mission Critical Data Explosion and Customer Case Study
Would you like to double your tier 1 storage capacity while simultaneously reducing your storage footprint?

Download this customer success story to see how...
Protecting Against Database Attacks and Insider Threats: Top 5 Scenarios
Read this new eBook to learn the top five scenarios and essential best practices for preventing database attacks and insider threats.
Database Activity Monitoring Is Evolving
Read the analyst report and learn how you can leverage the core capabilities of a DAP solution for better database security.
Establishing a Strategy for Database Security is No Longer Optional
The options for securing increasingly valuable databases are very broad and deep, and can be confusing. This research provides an overview of three...
All Broadband White Papers
Broadband Webcasts
Distributed Database Security with Real-time Monitoring
View this demo and learn how IBM InfoSphere Guardium database activity monitoring can help protect your sensitive data in distributed DBMS environments with...
InfoSphere Warehouse Packs Demo
These flash modules make warehousing more tangible and relevant to business users through detailed explanations of the InfoSphere Warehouse Packs.
Delivery Management -- Extending Lifecycle Management
Date: Wednesday, June 20, 2012, 1:00 PM EDT

Siloed organizations continue doing the wrong things and doing things wrong, leading to increased costs,...
Leverage automation today to reduce IT complexity
Date: Tuesday, June 5, 2012, 2:00 PM EDT

Whether your B2B complexity is caused by multiple technologies due to M&A, business or application specific...
Redefine Expectations in the Data Center
Need to do more with less? Watch this video to learn how HP ProLiant Gen8 servers can help your business deploy servers three...
All Broadband Webcasts
Newsletter Sign-Up

Receive the latest news test, reviews and trends on your favorite technology topics

Choose a newsletter
  1. View all newsletters | Privacy Policy
IT Jobs