FCC Redefines Broadband in Net Neutrality Prelude

The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday voted 3-2 to change the definition of broadband Internet, raising the minimum speeds required for that standard in hopes of pressuring the telecom industry to expand high-speed access to more Americans, according to US News.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said during the commission’s meeting Thursday the decision was “act one” of the agency’s efforts "to ensure that U.S. broadband is fast, fair and open" – a reference to the commission's plans to vote Feb. 26 on net neutrality rules aimed at ensuring all Internet traffic is treated equally. Wheeler will disclose a final draft of the rules next week.

“Broadband deployment in the United States – especially in rural areas – is failing to keep pace with today’s advanced, high-quality voice, data, graphics and video offerings,” said a press release from the commission that cited the agency's 2015 Broadband Progress Report.

While the U.S. invented the Internet, 17 percent of all Americans – or 55 million people – lack access to the newly defined broadband speeds of 25 megabits per second for downloads and 3 Mbps for uploads, according to the FCC. Only 8 percent of urban Americans lack access to those speeds while 53 percent – or 22 million people – in rural areas do not have that type of connection, the agency said.

Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel and her Democratic colleagues voted in favor of redefining what counts as broadband, though she called for the agency to "set big goals” by raising the minimum download speed much higher than 25 Mbps to pressure more industry development.

“I think our new threshold, frankly, should be 100 Mbps,” Rosenworcel said. “I think anything short of that shortchanges our children, our future and our new digital economy.”

Republican Commissioners Michael O’Rielly and Ajit Pai dissented on the decision to raise the broadband speeds, arguing the move would backfire and discourage investment in new telecom infrastructure.

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