A Q&A with John Horrigan, senior fellow at the Technology Policy Institute.

When asked, "How does broadband speed impact the things people can do online?" Horrigan said, "How much speed you need, and how you experience that speed, relies on multiple factors, including the applications and the number of people online. The devices being used also affect speed: the computer, router, and even broader infrastructure available to deliver the connection can all impact speed and user experience. Not all online activities require the same speeds: For a group video call, 2.5 Mbps speeds suffice, while streaming videos may require 25 Mbps for high-definition quality. As a result, a single-person household may be fine with an internet service provider’s (ISP’s) basic service offering. But many factors affect even the highest internet speeds."

When asked, "What has the COVID-19 pandemic taught us about broadband speeds?" Horrigan said, "The pandemic has caused a large increase in home internet use....Many applications that people have relied upon during the pandemic—such as videoconferencing platforms or streaming video—do not necessarily need fast speeds to function, but when multiple people in a household need a video application, network performance may suffer. Additionally, those reliant on only smartphones for access, beyond worrying about data limits, may find that some video applications do not function well. This phenomenon may be significant because some 17% of Americans are “smartphone only,” including 26% of low-income households. For low-income students who have only smartphones for remote classroom access, the limitations of these devices for learning have become quickly evident."

5G is evolving fast in the US. In just a few months, the 5G experience we saw has changed dramatically on each carrier. And, while progress has boosted many 5G measures, in other 5G categories we see big drops. Looking at 5G over the summer, we saw that average 5G Download Speed using Verizon ranged from 508.3 Mbps to 338 Mbps. But now in these five cities the highest average speed we see using Verizon is 68.0 Mbps. Similarly, T-Mobile users saw a real-world average 5G Download speed of 49.2 Mbps then, here we see speeds range of 83.8 Mbps, 74.9 Mbps, 65.8 Mbps, 59.8 Mbps in four of the cities. But at the same time, we see jumps on 5G Availability on both T-Mobile and Verizon. Now, we see the 5G Download Speed across the three carriers is neck and neck in five major cities. The 5G market is now very competitive. In three cities, there is no clear leader in 5G Download Speed because the average 5G speeds are close enough that our confidence intervals overlap. These results are in marked contrast to our previous results. Why has the experience changed so much in such a short space of time?

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai appears to be moving full steam ahead on a controversial spectrum item in his final days as head of the agency. According to the FCC’s list of items on circulation, he recently shared a Petition for Reconsideration that was filed by ten education groups regarding the FCC’s July 2019 decision on Educational Broadband Service (EBS) spectrum. If the item receives three votes while on circulation – which some believe may already be the case – the FCC can move forward and dismiss the petition, thus denying schools a meaningful opportunity to acquire EBS licenses and connect students. A coalition of 23 educational groups is now calling on Chairman Pai not to move forward on this controversial item. In a letter to Chairman Pai led by the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB), the organizations explained three important reasons why this item should not be considered until the incoming presidential administration and the new FCC has had a chance to fully consider the ramifications of the Petition for Reconsideration. 1) The EBS rulemaking was controversial. 2) Congress is still actively considering this issue. 3) There is new evidence that was never considered.

In letters to 11 whistleblowers on Dec 2, the US Office of Special Counsel (OSC) — an investigative and prosecutorial government body — revealed that it had found “a substantial likelihood of wrongdoing” at the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees four media organizations: Voice of America, Middle East Broadcasting, Radio Free Asia, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. With help from the Government Accountability Project (GAP), which represents more than 20 current and former staffers at the USAGM, 11 whistleblowers sent specific complaints to the OSC over the last few months. They included allegations that USAGM leadership “repeatedly violated the Voice of America firewall” and “engaged in gross mismanagement and abuse of authority.” Further, the whistleblowers claimed leadership “pressured career staff to illegally repurpose … congressionally appropriated funds and programs without notifying Congress.” On Dec 2, the OSC replied to these and other allegations, noting that what the whistleblowers alleged seemed to be true. However, OSC gives any offending agency — in this case, UASGM — 60 days to conduct its own probe and respond to the complaints. It’s not until that investigation ends that OSC makes a final determination.

Jeff McElfresh, CEO of AT&T Communications, described AT&T's broadband policy goals. He said Congress should act to directly fund the Universal Service Fund, changing the funding mechanism since the contribution factor — the percentage of voice revenues that goes toward USF — is on track to exceed 30% for the first time. Other AT&T broadband policy recommendations outlined:

• Retain a light touch regulatory approach. Although McElfresh didn’t provide details here, this would appear to be a reference to Net Neutrality and Open Internet issues, including whether broadband should be classified as a Title II telecommunications service, which would leave the service open to heavier regulation. He noted that AT&T expects to double the number of fiber locations that it serves within the next five years.
• Be technology-neutral. As the government awards “up to $80 billion” for broadband, it should “let engineers decide how to expand broadband into rural America” and should not “get prescriptive about technology.” He argued, for example, that fixed wireless broadband offers a means of using tax dollars wisely for rural broadband.
• Obtain accurate broadband availability data. “We need precise maps...down to individual buildings,” McElfresh said.