NCTA to FCC: Cable Broadband Deployment Is Not Discriminatory

Cable broadband providers told the Federal Communications Commission that preventing digital discrimination in the provision of broadband services is a laudable goal but that they already offer equal access to high-speed service, and the proof is in the data. The FCC asked how it could “prevent internet providers from engaging in digital discrimination,” which suggests there is a problem that needs fixing. NCTA-the Internet & Television Association said that both FCC and census data make it clear that “cable broadband networks are available across providers’ service areas to homes and businesses, regardless of income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion or national origin.” The association cited FCC and US Census data showing 99.8% of homes with median incomes above $100,000 have access to cable broadband at 1 Gigabit per second, but so do virtually the same percentage (98.2%) for those with incomes below $35,000 per year. The NCTA signaled the problem would be if the FCC were to overregulate in an effort to achieve broadband adoption or affordability goals aren’t germane to what should be the inquiry’s focus. The things NCTA wants the FCC to steer clear of include conflating adoption with deployment. NCTA said the FCC’s definition of availability should rely only on studies that “distinguish availability from adoption and do not rely on third-party speed tests.”