Age of the Geek

Broadband Redefined
 
As of last Thursday, you may no longer have broadband Internet service.
     Don’t worry, your service hasn’t changed. Instead, the FCC has increased the standard of what can be defined as “broadband” speeds. Previously set at 4 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 1Mbps upload in 2010, the new standard for service now requires a speed of 25Mbps down and 3Mbps up.
     If we’re defining “broadband” as a speed sufficient for the average household, I’d say that’s a good speed. At that speed, Dad can watch a movie on Netflix, Mom can chat with friends on Facebook, and two kids can play their online games errr... do their homework, all while their cell phones and tablets automatically download updates for all their apps.
     Here in Hampton, the Internet is pretty good. Nary a moment goes by in my apartment where one or both of my roommates aren’t streaming YouTube, Hulu, or Netflix. Between the three of us we have all manner of devices running at any given time and we’ve yet to hit the limit of our bandwidth.
     But there are 55 million Americans (22 million of which live in rural areas) that don’t have access to that level of Internet service. According to the FCC, one out of five rural people lack access to even 4/Mbps speeds. I’ve been one of those people, and it’s rough. Downloads can be overnight ordeals and streaming HD video is right out.
     4/Mbps speeds can be a challenge to a single user. I can’t see a family of four functioning well at that speed. In fact, I know they can’t because I’ve tried watching YouTube videos at my parent’s house. They live on an acreage, they pay far too much for  the fastest Internet available, and it’s simply not enough.
     Thankfully, FCC Chiarman Tom Wheeler agrees with me, saying “In 2015, taking turns to use the Internet bandwidth is as absurd as taking turns to use the electricity.”
     Honestly, 25mbps is probably more than an average family actually needs today, but tomorrow is another story. The new standard is an admittedly “forward-looking speed.”
     It wasn’t long ago that 720p video was the top-of-the-line in quality. Today, 1080p is the standard for high definition video. It won’t be long before 4K replaces it as the next big thing. “Broad” by its nature, is a relative term. It’s definition is dependent on what you’re trying to squeeze through it.
     The vote to redefine the definition of broadband was made with a 3/2 decision by the FCC commissioners. The two dissenters, Commissioner Ajit Pai and Commissioner Michael O’Reilly, say that the report is flawed, particularly because it ignores access to mobile internet in its count of people lacking high speed service. In fact, Pai says that because 98.5 percent of Americans now live in areas covered by 4G networks capable of delivering 12mbps access, that they are already well on their way to universal broadband service.
     Pai is, of course, completely ignoring the fact that the mobile networks are very costly and data limits on them heavily discourage their use.
     Anybody who has ever received a text message that their family data plan is approaching its limit can tell you that mobile Internet is no substitute for a landline connection.
     He may as well be saying that people no longer need running water in their homes because they can buy bottled water at the store. Sure, bottled water may be handy when you’re out and about and want a quick drink, but you aren’t going to shower in it.
     The Internet is the same way. I can check my e-mail on my smart phone, but I’m not going to stream a movie on Netflix when I’m not in range of a wi-fi connection.
     In his dissenting statement, Commissioner Pai also says that the new benchmark has been set to justify future regulatory actions from the FCC. And in this case I don’t think he’s wrong.
     According to the report, Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 requires the FCC to report annually on whether broadband “is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion,” and to take “immediate action” if it is not.
     By raising the definition of broadband, suddenly much larger swaths of the country officially have a pressing need for better Internet service, and as such, are now eligible to partake in $11 billion of Connect America Funds dedicated to supporting access in rural areas.
     It’s hard to say what else the FCC has in mind, although this move makes me all but certain that we’ll be seeing a Title II reclassification of the Internet as a public utility in the new couple weeks. From there, it’s anybody’s guess what they’ll do.
     They’ve set their goal, now they have to reach it.
 
     Travis Fischer is a news writer for Mid-America Publishing and hopes to never live with sub-standard Internet ever again.