PC Magazine - 2009 11.pdf - Libertad Zero

The TruthAbout BroadbandAccording to a new study, “high-speed” Internetmay be an overstatement.The United States may be tops in a lot ofareas, but it turns out that broadbandaccessspeed is probably not one of them.This finding came to light as a result of anFederal Communications Commission( FCC ) t a s k forceprobe into the actualspeed of broadbandconnections acrossthe nation. This reportwill help the FCCbring a plan beforeCongress to spendallocated stimulusdollars.The study found that broadband speedsadvertised by ISPs are generally slower thanthey claim to be. Furthermore, the reportsays that the increasing number of users isputting stress on networks: About 1 percentof all users drive 20 percent of traffic and20 percent of all users drive 80 percent oftraffic. The task force also found that mostInternet applications are currently focusedon communication and entertainment, butthat is evolving into education, job training,business and other productive purposes.Currently, almost two-thirds of Americanshave broadband at home. About 33 percenthave access but have not adopted it, and 4percent said they have no access where theylive. The FCC says that getting broadband toeveryone should be a priority.“The cost of digital exclusion is large andgrowing for nonadopters,as resourcesfor employment, education,news, healthcare,and shopping forgoods and servicesincreasingly moveonline,” according tothe FCC.However, the commissiongoes on to say that if Americanswant more than one provider, guaranteedaccess to fixed and mobile service, or accessin rural areas, they should be prepared tosee the cost of broadband improvementincrease by a few billion dollars. Dependingon the type of speeds you want, investmentwill range from $20 billion for universal768-Kbps to 3-Mbps service all the way upto $350 billion for 100-Mbps service. For amore in-depth look at the FCC’s findings, thecommission has posted all 168 slides fromthe report on its Web site, which you canview by clicking here.—Chloe AlbanesiusNOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION