Fiber Broadband Association thinks FCC idea for new broadband minimums 'already obsolete'

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel recently proposed raising the minimum broadband speed requirement in the US to 100 Mbps for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads. The move was generally well-received, but long overdue at a time when median download and upload speeds among US service providers still rank below several other nations. Still, Fiber Broadband Association President and CEO Gary Bolton said the FCC’s ongoing focus on speed minimums is a misguided approach. “Our industry has moved beyond the ‘speed test’ and is now focused on the ‘experience test,'" said Bolton. "We would encourage the FCC to not set ‘new’ broadband definitions that are already obsolete, but to look toward the future and establish definitions that will support the vision and innovation of the Metaverse and beyond.” Bolton continued, "Fortunately, we are at the beginning of the largest investment in broadband in history with nearly $130 billion in State and Federal subsidies that are being deployed. That funding will largely fund fiber projects that will deliver nearly unlimited broadband capacity and ultra-low latency...In short, the FCC’s plan to move their definition of broadband from 25/3 Mbps to 100/20 Mbps is a moot point."