BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: On Broadband
Bringing Internet access to every American: The 5th anniversary of the National Broadband Plan
Link to talk:
http://www.brookings.edu/events/2015/06/17-national-broadband-plan
SUMMARY of Brookings Discussion:
In 2000, only eight million Americans had broadband in their homes; by 2009, that number had grown exponentially to nearly 200 million. As a result of this expansion, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 mandated that the Federal Communications Commission develop a National Broadband Plan, to “ensure that the entire broadband ecosystem—networks, devices, content and applications—is healthy.” Among its long-term goals, the plan aims to bring broadband to another 100 million U.S. homes and position the United States as a world leader in mobile innovation. What progress has been made over the last five years to fulfill these goals?
On June 17, Governance Studies at Brookings hosted an event to discuss the five year anniversary of the National Broadband Plan. A panel of experts discussed the development of the plan, the changes that have been made over the past five years, and what lies ahead for the future of American broadband development.
Comcast move heats up Internet speed fight
BY FRANK WITSIL DETROIT FREE PRESS
RYAN GARZA/DETROIT FREE PRESS
Comcast plans to offer higher-speed Internet service to Michigan customers. No prices have been announced, but Comcast is calling it a “premium service,” suggesting a higher price tag for customers.
Comcast plans to offer higher-speed residential Internet service — up to 2 gigabits per second — to about 1.5 million homes in Michigan markets by next month, the cable company said Tuesday.
As competition for Internet customers intensifies, Com-cast is touting its service as the fastest nationwide — even faster than Rocket Fiber, which is creating a 1-gigabit network in downtown Detroit and Midtown.
“Michigan is swarming with tech-savvy residents who have a need for even faster speeds,” said Tim Collins, senior vice president of Comcast’s Heartland Region. “Bringing this new level of fast to our customers reflects more than just our commitment to meeting their needs today, but also into the future.”
Comcast’s enhanced broadband service, which is being called Gigabit Pro, is to be offered in metro Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Jackson and Lansing, and will allow for faster downloads on multiple devices.
No prices have been announced, but Comcast is calling it a “premium service,” suggesting a higher price tag for customers.
“Most households probably won’t need that speed,” said Comcast spokesman Randy Jones. “But there are some users who will find it appealing. It is lightning fast. We’re working very hard to get this in the marketplace.”
Most homes now measure their broadband speeds in megabits per second. A gigabit is 1,000 megabits.
Cable and other Internet providers are adding faster digital connections as customers demand more streaming video, complex digital games and other services that require more bandwidth.
To get an idea of how fast 2 gigabits per second is, Jones said, customers with this service should be able to download a high-definition movie in about 12 seconds, or a 30-minute TV show in 2 seconds.
At 8 megabits a second, it would take nearly 8 minutes to download a TV show.
The average Internet connection in Michigan now is12.7 megabits per second, according to Massachusetts-based Akamai Technologies.
Other Internet companies
— some building new networks — are racing to offer high-speed broadband service.
Rocket Fiber, which is backed by businessman Dan Gilbert, expects to its enhanced service in downtown Detroit and Midtown by the end of the year.
East Lansing-based Light-Speed Communications has offered 1-gigabit residential Internet service in some parts of Lansing since last fall and plans to offer it in Southfield neighborhoods this summer.
The company had said it expected to charge a promotional rate of about $50 a month, and then $50-$70.
Bob Trezise, president and CEO of the Lansing Economic Area Partnership, said the service helps make the community more attractive to businesses and homeowners that want and need the faster service. In many cases now, he added, residential Internet users are entrepreneurs operating out of their homes.
“It’s imperative businesses and neighborhoods have access to that speed,” he said. “The competition is starting.”
Outside Michigan, Comcast also plans to offer the Gigabit Pro service in these cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Portland, Ore., Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., and Chattanooga, Knoxville and Nashville, Tenn. And it plans to offer the service in these states: California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Utah and Washington.
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com
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