|
Broadband Access
Survey says: U.S. needs big broadband boost and redistribution
Tellabs calls to close the gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’
by Doug Allen
According to a new telecom industry survey from Tellabs, America’s
growing economic inequality is coming to broadband service access as
well, making the country one of data-rich haves and have-nots.
While 65 million Americans depend on broadband services almost daily
for work, education, entertainment and/or general communications, “too
many other Americans have no access to broadband services,” in
Tellabs’ words.
Much of those “other Americans” can be found in rural or under-served
areas that have been marginalized by service providers for economic or
geographic reasons. These potential customers can’t even get
broadband at the current FCC-defined rate of 200 kbps, at which speed
the survey notes, it takes longer to download a movie than to watch it.
(See: Audiocast: Tellabs argues for the closing of the broadband divide)
Breaking down the survey results, 451 readers of major U.S. telecom
publications shared a general concern for lost productivity, including:
• 89 percent think that lack of broadband access hurts an individual’s
educational, productivity, and employment potential.
• 81 percent think that America should some of the current Universal Service
Fund to expand rural broadband.
• 79 percent think where you live should not dictate broadband availability.
• 77 percent think that economic status should not determine broadband
availability.
“I find this survey of the telecom industry’s perspective stimulating and
insightful,” said Ron Westfall, research director at Current Analysis. “A
more accurate definition of what broadband is only helps elevate the
debate and better frames the serious challenges we face. And whatever
industry solution is eventually worked out, it’s obvious the telecom
industry will have a central role to play in further expanding access and
the services that run over broadband access.”
Many of the respondents supported a new definition of broadband,
especially when reminded the U. S. ranks 15th globally in broadband
penetration measured against population, according to the Organization
of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). 84 percent feel the U.S.’
laggard status in broadband penetration is a serious problem, while 93 percent
think broadband is essential for continued Web 2.0 innovation. 94 percent of
those polled decided to overturn the current FCC definition of
broadband, with 84 percent in favor of defining broadband as a service that
can deliver high-quality streaming video.
Taking the issue a step further, Joe Savage, president of the Fiber to the
home (FTTH) Council argues that the government should look for ways
to stimulate expanded broadband access deployments.
“We already have the technology and the business infrastructure to take
America’s broadband capabilities into the next generation and make this
country the world leader in the provisioning of ultra high bandwidth
services,” he said. “Indeed, the deployment of these services is already
under way, with more than 2.5 million American homes now connected
directly into high speed fiber networks. But we need to ensure that
national, state and local policies encourage, and do not inhibit, every
community’s progress toward the high bandwidth future that is so
important to our economic competitiveness.” (See:
Fiber runs a forward pass to the home)
|
