As FCC officials mull the National Broadband Plan, it probably would be a good time to lay out some realities about where we are as we all seek ways to improve the future.
Some proponents of increased regulation like to belittle the U.S. and decry the progress being made on the broadband front. But the facts tell a starkly different picture (I think the authors of this Investors Business Daily editorial would concur).
First off, wireless: Aside from the fact that the U.S. is the world’s largest data market, what the industry is about to offer is mind-blowing. Verizon Wireless will bring to 25-30 US cities 4G LTE by the end of this year. Not a test, not a trial but real world 10-12 Mbps mobile data speeds, speeds that will be coast-to-coast in 2013. Even better, it is all part of an LTE Ecosystem that aims to bring onto this network untold aps and devices by the developers of every shape and size. Not to mention others in the marketplace who will be pushing the 4G broadband future with their own flavors of LTE and WiMax.
The US also leads in fiber. Europe is often held up as a broadband pace setter, but the fact is the US has more homes and businesses wired today directly with fiber than our continental friends.
Another point lost on our glass-half full friends is the speed increases we’ve seen in land-based broadband. According to Pew, typical broadband speeds have more than doubled since 2004: DSL has moved from 1.5 mbps to 7; cable has moved from an average of 1.5 to 3 mbps to 8-16 mbps. Fiber didn’t exist in 2004. Today it’s available to more than 15 million households and delivers speeds of up to 50 mbps up and 35 mbps down (new FiOS download speed as of 1/18/2010).
Another inconvenient truth surrounds price. As my Policyblog pal Link Hoewing pointed out in a post last year: “Prices have declined. The average price of entry-level broadband for 5 major providers moved from $50 a month in 2001, to $33 in 2004, to $25 in 2007. Verizon’s own entry-level price in 2009 is $17.99 a month, with a 12 month contract.”*
All of this is not to say there isn’t progress to be made. We need to figure out why some resist adopting broadband, despite its near ubiquitous availability. But as policymakers ponder next steps, we shouldn’t ignore the good news and exaggerate the bad. As Verizon and Google did recently, let’s find points of agreement based on established facts and move forward together from there.
*in 2010 it's now $19.99.
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