FCC Opens Eighteenth Inquiry on State of Broadband in the U.S.

The Federal Communications Commission has initiated the next annual assessment concerning the “availability of advanced telecommunications capability to all Americans.” The FCC begins its latest inquiry under section 706 mindful that access to broadband is not a luxury, but a necessity. By this Notice of Inquiry, the FCC has initiated its latest statutorily mandated annual review, soliciting comment and data to inform its section 706 analysis. In the next section 706 report, the FCC proposes to maintain the standards and goals adopted by the 2024 Report and seek comment here on potential additional metrics as well as potential data sources by which to measure them. The FCC encourages the public at large, individual consumers, providers of broadband services, consumer advocates, analysts, policy institutes, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and all other interested parties to help determine the most effective ways to complete the Commission's statutorily mandated task. The information the FCC gathers in this proceeding will assist the agency in ensuring that its broadband policies are well informed and supported by sound data analysis.