Improving FCC Broadband Data Collection

IMPROVING FCC BROADBAND DATA COLLECTION
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
The Federal Communications Commission adopted an order Wednesday aimed at increasing the precision and quality of broadband subscribership data collected every six months from broadband services providers. Improvements include collecting detailed subscribership information on a local level and more detailed information about the speed of broadband service. Specifically, the Order will:

1) Expand the number of broadband reporting speed tiers to capture more precise information about upload and download broadband speeds in the marketplace,

2) Require broadband providers to report numbers of broadband subscribers by Census Tract, broken down by speed tier and technology type, and

3) Improve the accuracy of information the Commission gathers about mobile wireless broadband deployment.

Also, in a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC seeks comment on broadband service pricing and availability. Separately, the FCC adopted a report showing that broadband services are currently being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion. The Fifth Report to Congress on broadband deployment under Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 finds that there have been considerable changes and advances in the delivery of broadband-based services and applications since the Fourth Report in 2004.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-280909A1.doc

MEDIA COVERAGE:
* FCC approves new method for tracking broadband's reach
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9898118-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2...

STATEMENTS BY COMMISSIONERS
* Martin Statement on Broadband Data & 706 Report: "As the importance of broadband continues to increase, it is important that we understand better how and where broadband is being deployed by providers and used by consumers. Today's Order will require detailed subscribership information on a local level and detailed information about the download and upload speeds of broadband services offered to consumers. Specifically, we will collect information in the following tiers of service: First Generation data: 200k up to 768k, Basic Broadband : 768k to 1.5mbps, 1.5mbps to 3.0mbps, 3.0mbps to 6.0 mbps, 6.0mbps and above
Additionally, we conclude that we will obtain and map additional information about broadband service availability to better direct resources toward unserved and underserved areas. Armed with this additional broadband data, the Commission will be better able to assess and promote the deployment of broadband across the nation."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-280909A2.doc

* Copps Statement on Broadband Data: Good data, as you quickly learn serving at the FCC, is the bedrock of good policy. And creating good data is really a core function of government.... The good news-and, yes, today's Order is very good news-is that it shows we're finally getting serious about broadband data-gathering.... To be sure, it is likely to be a year or more before the FCC actually gets the data that we specify today, and that is a time period when we still won't know what we need to know to make the kind of broadband progress we need to make. But when we do get this data, we will finally have granular information on the number of connections, in various upload and download tiers, for each census tract."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-280909A3.doc

* Adelstein Statement on Broadband Data: "I have long stated that we need to collect more accurate and reliable data concerning the status of broadband deployment, availability, affordability, and competition, if we are to develop effective policies that promote access to broadband services, which is our charge under the Telecommunications Act of 1996. It is the first step toward a real national broadband strategy. So, while I believe there are still gaps to fill, I am pleased that this Order makes a number of important improvements in our data gathering efforts which should assist policymakers at all levels of government. With the benefit of this additional data, the contours of the broadband challenge should become clearer, if still short of high definition.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-280909A4.doc

* Tate Statement on Broadband Data: "Our current ZIP code data provides us with trend information, but as the broadband market has evolved we now want to provide a more complete picture.... While I fully recognize and support the need for the Commission to continue to update the evolving speeds and definitions of broadband as the marketplace develops, we must also be cognizant of any unintended consequences to programs that rely on our current definitions. To insure that everyone- even those with lower speeds or older technologies- is counted, and also to insure that by adopting new definitions today we do not disrupt any of the funding opportunities -- whether through the FCC, the Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, Appalachian Regional Commission, or even State grants -- I would have preferred to move this to the Further Notice so that we could be certain these definitional changes are only for the positive."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-280909A5.doc

* McDowell Statement on Broadband Data: "[T]oday the majority is playing with fire by attaching subjective and, perhaps, misleading terminology and definitions to various speeds. In short, what started out with a sleepy bureaucratic Order may end up being a change of tectonic proportions. The majority has not thought through the unintended consequences of its actions today. Instead of allowing consumers to determine what is a sufficient speed for their desired purposes, the government is drawing an arbitrary line that may favor some technologies that are currently considered "broadband." While the concept of what is "broadband" should constantly improve and evolve, these decisions are best left to consumers and the marketplace, not unelected bureaucrats. It certainly should not be a political decision. I fear that what the majority has wrought this morning may very well come back to haunt us."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-280909A9.doc