Goal #3: Every American should have affordable access to robust broadband service, and the means and skills to subscribe

Every American should have affordable access to robust broadband service, and the means and skills to subscribe if they so choose.

Ensuring all people have access to broadband requires the Federal Communications Commission to set a national broadband availability target to guide public funding.

An initial universalization target of 4 Mbps of actual download speed and 1 Mbps of actual upload speed, with an acceptable quality of service for interactive applications, would ensure universal access.

This represents a speed comparable to what the typical broadband subscriber receives today, and what many consumers are likely to use in the future, given past growth rates.

While the nation aspires to higher speeds, it should direct public investment toward meeting this initial target.

The FCC should review and reset this target for public investment every four years

Three requirements must be satisfied to ensure every American can take advantage of broadband:

• First, every American home must have access to network services.
• Second, every household should be able to afford that service.
• Third, every American should have the opportunity to develop digital skills.

The plan outlines a 10-year, three-stage course of action to transform existing support mechanisms to foster deployment of broadband in high-cost areas: specifically, the Universal Service Fund and intercarrier compensation. These programs to connect those who do not have access to adequate broadband infrastructure.

The plan also proposes extending the Lifeline and Link-Up programs to support broadband.

To promote digital skills, we need to ensure every American has access to relevant, age-appropriate digital literacy education,
for free, in whatever language they speak, and we neeed to create a Digital Literacy Corps.

Achieving this goal will likely lead to an adoption rate higher than 90% by 2020 and reduced differences in broadband adoption
among demographic groups.