A "100 Megabit Nation" by 2015

A "100 MEGABIT NATION" BY 2015
[SOURCE: Broadband Properties]
Underscoring the importance of higher bandwidth to America’s future competitiveness, and deeply concerned by the lack of progress on a national telecommunications bill, the Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Council has called on Congress and the President to adopt a “100 Megabit Nation” policy by the end of this year. The imitative is aimed at ensuring that a majority of American households have broadband connectivity available by 2010 and that next-generation symmetrical 100 Mbps broadband connections be universally available by 2015. The FTTH Council noted that while the technology exists today to provide this level of bandwidth, the broadband services currently available to the overwhelming majority of Americans do not exceed 5 Mbps. Only FTTH technology could provide the bandwidth the Council described as necessary. Both private and public sector initiatives are called for in the Council’s proposed initiative. Along with its call for a “100 Megabit Nation,” the FTTH Council suggested a number of policy proposals to help reach this objective, including continued video franchise reform, an end to restrictions on municipal broadband, financial incentives, the re-authorization of the Rural Utilities Service broadband loan program, and congressional oversight on video content access concerns. The FTTH Council also encouraged policymakers to hear from a wide range of stakeholders in order to incorporate an effective broadband strategy.
http://www.broadbandproperties.com/2007issues/feb07issues/100Mbs_feb.pdf