US to start work on its own broadband strategy

10 Apr 2009 | 09.00 Europe/London

It may have been the first country to get a man on the moon but now America's playing catch-up in the national broadband stakes. After announcements from the U.K., South Korea and Australia, the U.S. is starting work on its own strategy that could - after an initial year-long period of consultation - bring faster, shinier Intartubes to its citizens.

This strategy could be just to do nothing - the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) can recommend either action or inaction to the US Congress. It'll consider issues like broadband supply and demand, quality, affordability and online security. The FCC will start the process by asking for the views of representatives from business, industry, telecoms, as well as Government offices and the public.

"This Commission has never, I believe, received a more serious charge than the one to spearhead development of a national broadband plan," said acting FCC chairman Michael Copps.

Putting Broadband into every American home was one of Barack Obama's presidential campaign pledges. Since taking office he's has already poured $7.2 billion in grants to put "broadband" in so-called "underserved" areas as part of his $800 dollar economic stimulus plan. Because there's no agreement over the exact definition of either "broadband" or "underserved," progress has been slow.

Derek Turner, research director of media reform organization Free Press, blames the U.S. government taking so long to get round to thinking about broadband on the Bush administration's "wait and see approach." "Competition disappeared, speeds stagnated, prices went through the roof, and the open Internet was placed in jeopardy," he says.

As the national broadband race unfolds, the most eye-catching thing is proving to be the speeds different countries are deciding on. South Korea wants 1 Gigabit per second, Australia's aiming for 100 Megabits per second and our Government seems content with 2Mbps. The FCC currently defines broadband at a rate slower than 1Mbps, but we'll have to wait a year to see how fast it'll settle on.