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IPFS News Link • Government

FCC accused of power grab on broadband

• http://thehill.com, By David McCabe

A proposed draft of the congressionally mandated report finds that advanced telecommunications capability isn't being deployed in a "reasonable and timely fashion" to all Americans. According to a fact sheet released by the agency, 34 million Americans do not have access to wired internet service that meets the FCC's definition of broadband — download speeds of 25 Mbps and upload speeds of 3 Mbps.

The commission also found that the divide between rural and urban Americans when it comes to broadband access persists. Thirty-nine percent of rural residents don't have access to wired broadband, according to the report

"To maximize the benefits of broadband for the American people, we not only need to facilitate innovation in areas like public safety and civic engagement, but also to make sure all Americans have advanced communications capabilities," said commission Chairman Tom Wheeler in a blog post. "The Commission has a statutory mandate to assess and report annually on whether broadband is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion."


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