Analysis of broadband affordability deemed “extraneous” by FCC chair.
The Federal Communications Commission is ditching Biden-era standards for measuring progress toward the goal of universal broadband deployment.
The changes will make it easier for the FCC to give the broadband industry a passing grade in an annual progress report. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s proposal would give the industry a thumbs-up even if it falls short of 100 percent deployment, eliminate a long-term goal of gigabit broadband speeds, and abandon a new effort to track the affordability of broadband.
Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act requires the FCC to determine whether broadband is being deployed “on a reasonable and timely basis” to all Americans. If the answer is no, the US law says the FCC must “take immediate action to accelerate deployment of such capability by removing barriers to infrastructure investment and by promoting competition in the telecommunications market.”
You have it backwards. Why should Starlink be the only reasonable choice for so much of the country? Why should it be the fastest choice for so many?
Why should the federal govt have paid so much money to broadband providers to try to establish a monopoly for Elon musk? He’s got enough money to do that for himself
Sure, broadband providers deserve to go out of business if they don’t serve customers, but that doesn’t work when they can choose to serve only the most profitable customers. More importantly customers deserve to have decent service. Broadband is a need for modern life and should be treated as any other utility