Analysis of broadband affordability deemed “extraneous” by FCC chair.

The Federal Communications Commission is ditching Biden-era standards for measuring progress toward the goal of universal broadband deployment.

The changes will make it easier for the FCC to give the broadband industry a passing grade in an annual progress report. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s proposal would give the industry a thumbs-up even if it falls short of 100 percent deployment, eliminate a long-term goal of gigabit broadband speeds, and abandon a new effort to track the affordability of broadband.

Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act requires the FCC to determine whether broadband is being deployed “on a reasonable and timely basis” to all Americans. If the answer is no, the US law says the FCC must “take immediate action to accelerate deployment of such capability by removing barriers to infrastructure investment and by promoting competition in the telecommunications market.”

  • Mobiuthuselah@mander.xyz
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    3 days ago

    Didn’t ISPs just get tens of billions of dollars to expand high-speed connections to rural areas? For the second time?

      • azimir@lemmy.ml
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        3 days ago

        What money? I guess they’ll need some in about… two years or so for rural broadband? That’s about time to buy some election influence again.

    • nthavoc@lemmy.today
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      3 days ago

      And they kept it all to buy themselves the latest private jets stocked full of cocaine and hookers. Again.

    • InvalidName2@lemmy.zip
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      3 days ago

      Yes! And I’m honestly very thankful for it. The federal grants are the main reason I have affordable gigabit-speed fiber internet way out in here in my rural county. Without it, I’d be stuck with 10mb DSL, crumby and expensive satellite based options, or very limited 4G/5G based hotspot internet.

      • Mobiuthuselah@mander.xyz
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        3 days ago

        Glad you’re one of the lucky ones. They only did a fraction of the amount of work they were supposed to and pocketed the rest. Enjoy it for the rest of us!

      • buddascrayon@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        You sure that wasn’t rolled back to give that money to Jeff Bezos so he could have a really really expensive wedding?

    • fx242@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      I’m surprised US doesn’t have gigabit as a standard already. I’m upgrading to 10 gigabit next month here (Portugal)…

    • Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de
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      2 days ago

      Actually I remember reading a few weeks ago that BEAD money was cut. At the time I was thinking the Appalachians are gonna thank that one person who’s totally one of them and their friend, J.D. Vance, for that.

      • Mobiuthuselah@mander.xyz
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        2 days ago

        I live in the Appalachians. I’m confused about whom you’re referring to. I’d assume you mean Trump, but he’s not one of us. He’s not Appalachian at all.

        • Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de
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          2 days ago

          I’m a bit confused, I explicitly wrote J.D. Vance, why would you assume Trump? :-D

          He had the whole book taking up his Appalachian heritage didn’t he? The end of my comment was of course sarcastic, because all he’s doing is betraying rural America including the Appalachians.

          • Mobiuthuselah@mander.xyz
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            2 days ago

            Ah ok. I thought you were referring to two people, one vaguely and then that person’s friend, Vance. My confusion.

            • Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de
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              1 day ago

              Ah I can see how it can be read that way! Sorry. Maybe I messed up the commas again. I’m perpetually confused because the rules are different in English and German.

              • Mobiuthuselah@mander.xyz
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                1 day ago

                English can be silly like that. If we were talking in person, I would be able to understand from the inflection in your voice by what you meant, but in text, it’s easier to misinterpret what was meant. It was my mistake.