broadband

Obama criticises lack of broadband competition in Iowa speech

14 January 2015 by Steve Blum
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U.S. president Barack Obama just wrapped up a 20 minute speech that focused on community broadband. He pretty much stuck to the talking points released by the white house yesterday. He talked about tens of millions of U.S. homes that only have 1 high speed ISP available, if they have options any at all, putting them “at the whim of whatever broadband provider is around”. Obama’s solution is to offer cities technical assistance, implement previously approved rural broadband grant and loan programs, ask the FCC to preempt state restrictions on municipal broadband and telling federal agencies to get rid of unnecessary regulations.

Obama endorses community broadband, tells agencies to support it

14 January 2015 by Steve Blum
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Click for the full report.

U.S. president Barack Obama plans to use his bully pulpit today to help advance the cause of community broadband. Yesterday afternoon, the white house released a 5 point program to boost local broadband speeds and “support economic growth”, including…

  • Ending state laws that “harm broadband service competition”.
  • Focusing on local leaders, including holding a local broadband summit at the white house in June.
  • Tasking the commerce department with providing technical assistance to local communities that want to develop broadband systems.
… More

Community broadband gets presidential endorsement when Obama speaks in Iowa tomorrow

13 January 2015 by Steve Blum
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Ahead of a speech tomorrow by U.S. president Barack Obama, the white house released a ringing endorsement of community broadband this afternoon, and promised at least administrative and political support for local government efforts to build broadband networks (h/t to Gladys Palpallatoc at CETF for the timely tweet). No new money for construction was include or, indeed, anything that would require the cooperation of the republican majority in congress. But direction to the commerce and agriculture departments to assist local broadband projects will be heard, as will a request to the FCC – which has a democratic majority – to override state restrictions on what local governments will do.… More

Don't expect congress to bust local broadband barriers

12 January 2015 by Steve Blum
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The 1996 telecommunications act is the basic law that governs broadband, telephone and other communication technologies in the U.S. It was written in the days of dial-up Internet access, and didn’t do a good job of anticipating the broadband industry of the twenty first century. So there’s an effort underway in congress – the house of representatives, particularly – to rewrite it.

Legacy barriers to access poles and conduit should be one of the major changes, if and when the 1996 act is rewritten, according to Staci Pies, Google’s senior policy counsel.… More

The FCC can't make 25 Mbps a genuine national broadband standard by itself

9 January 2015 by Steve Blum
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Click for the big version.

Raising the FCC’s definition of acceptable home broadband from the current 4 Mbps down/1 Mbps up level to 25 Mbps down/3 Mbps up would certainly be symbolic. The practical effect, though, depends on what the FCC and other agencies – state and local – do with it.

An article on Ars Technica says that FCC chairman Tom Wheeler has a draft report under review that would raise the bar to 25/3.… More

Spectrum could be a major limiting factor for the Internet of Things, Ericsson CTO says

8 January 2015 by Steve Blum
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“Radio frequencies are going to become the most scare resource on the planet, more scarce than oil”, said Ulf Ewaldsson, Chief Technology Officer for Ericsson. “Frequencies are scarce because there are better frequencies and less better frequencies”.

Speaking at CES this afternoon, he said that current frequency allocations often reflect policy choices intended to keep particular interests happy rather than making the most efficient use of spectrum possible. Television broadcasters in Europe are one example, he said.… More

FCC considers raising broadband bar to 25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up

8 January 2015 by Steve Blum
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The new national standard for acceptable home broadband speeds is on its way to being 25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up. At CES yesterday, FCC chair Tom Wheeler endorsed raising it from the current 4 down/1up spec. According to Ars Technica, Wheeler is circulating a draft report – the annual broadband progress report required by congress but only sporadically produced by the FCC – that would declare 4/1 unacceptable and set 25/3 as the new minimum.

Wheeler's common carrier plan for broadband doesn't necessarily mean predictable rules

8 January 2015 by Steve Blum
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Honest, I meant to do this all along.

Common carrier regulation of broadband infrastructure and the Internet access services that ride on it appears all but certain at this point. Yesterday, FCC chairman Tom Wheeler told a CES audience that new network neutrality rules will be circulated privately at the FCC on 5 February 2015, and voted on by the full commission at its meeting on the 26th. You can bet it’ll be a party line vote in favor of his plan.… More

Be careful what kind of broadband regulation you wish for, because you're about to get it

8 January 2015 by Steve Blum
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“I think the devils going to be in the details”, FCC commissioner Ajit Pai told a CES audience yesterday. “Unfortunately, Title II is not going to be the panacea that some people think it will be, especially when we get to the massive discussion of forbearance, deciding which types of regulation we’re going to heed and which types we’re going to jettison”.

Short version: he’s not a fan.

Title II is the section of federal telecoms law that deals with common carrier rules, and it’s about to be applied to broadband infrastructure and services.… More

Looks like enough yes votes for common carrier broadband rules at the FCC

7 January 2015 by Steve Blum
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Immediately after FCC chair Tom Wheeler announced that common carrier broadband rules are on the way, the 4 other commissioners spoke at a panel session, also at CES. All were circumspect about Wheeler’s plan – they haven’t seen it yet, at least not officially.

Democrats Jessica Rosenworcel and Mignon Clyburn made generally positive comments. The two republicans – Ajit Pai and Michael O’Rielly – expressed concerns.

That’s all in line with past statements and positions.… More