Earlier today, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report, Broadband: FCC Should Analyze Small Business Speed Needs, which found, in part, that the Federal Communications Commission’s current broadband minimum benchmark speeds—25 megabits per second (Mbps) for downloading and 3 Mbps for uploading—are likely too slow to meet many small business speed needs. The following may be attributed to Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Executive Director Adrianne B. Furniss:

"As the U.S. recovers from one of the worst economic crises in our history, we will be looking to small businesses to revitalize our local communities and hire displaced workers. But these enterprises will need high-performance broadband to innovate and adapt to our new, post-COVID reality. Unfortunately, the Federal Communications Commission's standards are not running apace. The FCC has not updated its speed benchmark for 6 years. 2015's definition of 'high-speed' is antiquated—and it is holding us back. It is well past time for the FCC to set new benchmark speeds that reflect what true broadband is in 2021—and allow us to build back better."

 

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

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