Broadband Internet Speed: FCC And Cable Companies Battle Over Definition
Broadband internet speed is among the fiercest debates you probably didn’t know about. The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is pushing to redefine it for greater speeds while cable companies are arguing that we don’t need that much bandwidth.
Most of the United States, including President Barack Obama, as previously reported by the Inquisitr, is engaged in an ongoing battle over net neutrality. Net neutrality is best defined as the ability to use Facebook and YouTube without needing to pay an additional fee to your ISP to use Instagram and Blip at the same speed.
The FCC is also busy with the broadband internet definition, stating plans to upgrade the minimum speed to 25Mbps down (for watching streaming videos in high definition mostly) and 3Mbps up (for uploading to sites such as YouTube and Blip). This will raise the bandwidth for broadband internet speed across the board and possibly force providers such as Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon to adjust their prices accordingly.
The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NTCA) disagrees and doesn’t see the need to increase the bandwidth on the average American’s broadband internet connection.
“[The new definition isn’t necessary for high-speed], switched, broadband telecommunications capability that enables users to originate and receive high-quality voice, data, graphics, and video telecommunications using any technology.
“Notably, no party provides any justification for adopting an upload speed benchmark of 3Mbps. And the two parties that specifically urge the Commission to adopt a download speed benchmark of 25 Mbps – Netflix and Public Knowledge – both offer examples of applications that go well beyond the ‘current’ and ‘regular’ uses that ordinarily inform the Commission’s inquiry under Section 706.”
With the recent adoption of 60fps YouTube videos and an increasing demand for higher definition 4K streaming, many internet users would agree with the FCC. That’s not even counting the requirements of Xbox One and PlayStation 4 online games as a reason for the average use of increased broadband internet speed. The average internet user’s demands are rising.
Cable lobby is opposing FCC plans to define #broadband as speeds of at least 25Mbps downstream & 3Mbps upstream. WTF! pic.twitter.com/SIqXDpdBXa
— ???? (@isseykun) January 25, 2015
According to Gizmodo, if the FCC’s new definition for broadband internet speed successfully becomes the standard, cable companies will be shamed for not supporting it. Mobile Wi-Fi providers, such as AT&T and Verizon, may need to adjust their data plans so the new definition doesn’t cost their consumers literally hundreds of dollars a month just to take advantage of it due to low data limits and overage fees.
Do you think the FCC’s new definition for broadband speed will create a revolution among broadband internet providers, or simply be a waste of time and bandwidth?
[Image via Digital Trends]
