It’s official! The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has ruled that any internet connection with a download speed of 100Mbps and upload speed of 20Mbps (or lower) cannot be considered broadband connection. This is based on the new document released by the regulator for broadband speed benchmarks.
Back in 2015, the FCC allowed providers to advertise download speeds of 25Mbps and upload speeds of 3Mbps as “broadband connection.” Considering Wi-Fi routers and internet technology has since advanced, these benchmarks are considered outdated.
In the document, the regulator notes:
“The Commission’s Report, issued pursuant to section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, raises the Commission’s benchmark for high-speed fixed broadband to download speeds of 100 megabits per second and upload speeds of 20 megabits per second – a four-fold increase from the 25/3 Mbps benchmark set by the Commission in 2015.”
The FCC says this new limit was based on the capabilities of providers and needs of its customers. While it has improved the benchmarks, the regulator hopes to achieve 1Gbps download and 500Mbps upload speeds as a standard benchmark for broadband in the future.
The regulator has also shared its observation of the current internet rollout progress of US carriers:
“The Report concludes that advanced telecommunications capability is not being deployed in a reasonable and timely fashion based on the total number of Americans, Americans in rural areas, and people living on Tribal lands who lack access to such capability, and the fact that these gaps in deployment are not closing rapidly enough.”
With the new standards put up by the FCC, ISPs in the country may be pushed to get the country up to speed… literally.
Source: XDA-Developers
