FCC, raise the broadband speed benchmark to 100/10 Mbps

In comments to the Federal Communications Commission, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) urged the FCC to raise its broadband speed benchmark from 25/3 Mbps to 100/10 Mbps. “The United States is falling behind other nations in terms of broadband speeds,” CWA’s comments read. “On the peak speeds global ranking, the US does not break the top-10.” “Part of the problem is our current broadband benchmark, which is insufficiently audacious and falls short of the Commission’s goals in the 2010 Broadband Plan,” the comments continue. “The Commission should raise its broadband benchmark to 100/10 Mbps to encourage high-speed broadband deployment that will ensure the United States leads the world in Internet speeds and deployment instead of struggling to keep up.” In addition, CWA reiterated that broadband is not being deployed in a reasonable and timely fashion, as more than 24 million Americans still lack access to a broadband connection; noted that mobile services are still no substitute for fixed broadband; and recommend changes to the Commission’s 477 data, which is too old and unrefined to be useful in the public’s analysis of broadband deployment.