FCC Presentation on Broadband Adoption Efforts

At the Federal Communications Commission’s Nov 30 open meeting, FCC staff made a presentation on broadband adoption efforts, noting the economic opportunities of improving the broadband adoption rate which rests at 68%.

One third of Americans (100 million people) do not have broadband at home. The three top reasons for non-adoption are 1) Cost, 2) Digital literacy, and 3) Relevancy. The FCC has many efforts to address the issue: it formed the Broadband Adoption Taskforce; created the Connect America Fund; mandated the Comcast Internet Essentials and CenturyLink Internet Basics programs; and is considering a Digital Literacy Corps and including broadband in its Lifeline program. The presentation also highlighted the Connect to Compete program, focused initially on making broadband more affordable and accessible for low-income families with school-age children.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski used the update to thank the private sector and nonprofits -- One Economy is housing the Connect to Compete adoption effort -- for stepping up and saying adoption was a national challenge and they wanted to be part of the solution. He added that he was looking for others to step up as well in the coming months.