CWA advocates for broadband plan benchmarks

Yesterday, CWA submitted comments to the FCC with regards to benchmarks and definitions for the national broadband initiative.

"The national broadband plan [should] establish immediate benchmarks pegged to the minimum service speeds necessary to transmit high definition video, which is 10 mbps download and 1 mbps upload capacity. Video transmission enables applications in distance learning, telemedicine, public safety, and energy conservation that take advantage of broadband's transformative capabilities."

CWA is also advocating for long-term thresholds that move the U.S. towards the "global standard for advanced nations of 100mbps in both directions."

CWA argued that using advertised speeds to set benchmarks is irresponsible:

"The national broadband plan should recommend measurement of broadband capacity based on actual, not advertised, speed. The consumer experience is based on actual speed, not advertised, speed. There can be wide variations between actual and advertised speed. Transmission of medical data, participation in two-way video distance learning, real-time monitoring of energy consumption all is possible only with sufficient actual broadband capacity, not advertised capacity. We do not have an accurate picture of broadband capacity if we benchmark against advertised broadband speeds. "

The 2009 Speed Matters report on Internet Speeds in America showed that the majority of Americans are using slow Internet connections. 18 percent of those who took the speed test have download speeds slower than 768 kbps - the FCC's current threshold for basic broadband.

The FCC has posted directions for how to read the 10000-plus comments submitted regarding the National Broadband Plan.

Sign Speed Matters' petition to the FCC to make sure their National Broadband Plans follows the following principles: universal, high speed, open Internet, consumer protections and good jobs.

2009 Report on Internet Speeds in America (CWA)

How to read comments filed at the FCC (FCC's Blogband)

Take Action: We Need a National High Speed Internet Policy (Speed Matters)