Rural Commenters Urge FCC to Adopt Higher Broadband Benchmark

"NTCA's comments cited studies to show that consumer demand is rapidly exceeding 100/20 Mbps, leading the association to quote Michelangelo Buonarroti: "The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark." Hitting a low, easy-to-achieve target could leave rural Americans without the connectivity needed to compete in the emerging environment of artificial intelligence, telework, telehealth, precision agriculture, and other advanced functions."

"Consumer demand for upload speed is increasing much faster than consumer demand for download, and the number of 'power users' is expected to increase at an even faster rate," NRECA said, referring to the recent NRTC/NRECA Rural Broadband Benchmarking Report finding that more than 50 percent of consumers subscribe to services faster than 475/475 Mbps. The association argued that the time has come where the FCC should consider symmetrical service inherent to the overall definition of "advanced services.""

"NRECA and NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association were among the industry groups calling for raising the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) fixed broadband benchmark from its current 100/20 Mbps benchmark. The groups filed comments earlier this week in the Commission's annual Section 706 broadband inquiry. A decision on changes to the FCC benchmark could come in a later Section 706 report. NTCA's comments cited studies to show that consumer demand is rapidly exceeding 100/20 Mbps."

NRECA and NTCA urged raising the FCC fixed broadband benchmark above 100/20 Mbps and filed comments in the Section 706 inquiry. NTCA cited studies showing consumer demand already exceeds 100/20 Mbps and warned that low targets could leave rural Americans without connectivity needed for AI, telework, telehealth, precision agriculture, and other advanced functions. NRECA reported many electric cooperatives offer symmetrical 100/100 Mbps as their lowest tier and noted upload demand is rising faster than download demand; a benchmarking report found over 50 percent of consumers subscribe to speeds above 475/475 Mbps. NRECA urged making symmetrical service part of the definition of advanced services. The FCC proposed retaining a mobile benchmark of 35/3 Mbps for 5G-NR in outdoor, stationary environments.

Read at Telecompetitor