Broadband Deployment Grows

A report adopted by the FCC on broadband deployment says the U.S. is making what the agency claims is “substantial progress” in getting advanced data services to more people.
The report cites the growth in Wi-Fi Internet access hotspots, WiMax, third-generation mobile phones, personal area networks, satellite technologies, fiber to the home, and broadband over power lines, in addition to cable modem and DSL services. The report also describes the development of new Internet-based services, such as Voice
communications over Internet Protocol.
Among the report’s findings:
– Subscribership to advanced services providing connections to the Internet at speeds exceeding 200 kbps in both directions has more than tripled since the FCC’s last report, from 5.9 million lines in June 2001 to 20.3 million lines in December 2003.
– High-speed lines providing connectivity of more than 200 kbps in at least one direction have almost tripled from June 2001 to December 2003, from 9.6 million lines to 28.2 million lines.
– Cable modem and ADSL service providers provide the vast majority of advanced services lines, with cable representing 75.3 percent, ADSL representing 14.9 percent and other technologies representing 9.8 percent in December 2003. The relative position of cable and ADSL was 56 percent and 16.8 percent at the time of the last report, in June
2001.
Yet the FCC says its work to advance these new technologies is not done.
“Tomorrow’s broadband applications will demand much greater bandwidth. We wholeheartedly agree that a 200 kbs or even a 1 megabit connection is wholly inadequate for the demands of a growing number of consumers,” states Chairman Michael Powell.