2mo ago

FCC to eliminate gigabit speed goal and scrap analysis of broadband prices

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."

Technology @lemmy.zip

BrikoX @lemmy.zip

2mo ago

US | FCC to eliminate gigabit speed goal and scrap analysis of broadband prices

arstechnica.com /tech-policy/2025/07/fcc-to-eliminate-gigabit-speed-goal-and-scrap-analysis-of-broadband-prices/

171 comments

I fucking hate that every couple of years we just backpedal on everything. So god damn exhausting.
- It takes so long to fix everything, too!
  
  Yeah well, clearly it wasn't fixed fast enough so we should vote back in the people that break everything. Or decide that we shouldn't vote at all like the lazy sacks of shit we are.
  
  This is the part that bothers me so much about everything that is being dismantled right now. It took forever to get it to where it is, and it still needed a lot of improvement. And it was just smashed seemingly overnight.
  It's like a sandcastle. Takes forever to build a good one, and it takes some asshole one second to step on it and destroy the whole thing.
- If only we could chart that and see which political party is in charge at which points, and then never vote for the one that puts us here ever again... Oh well
  
  We can though, first time was the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 with funding being released in 2010. D president, D Senate, D house.
  By 2012 it became obvious that the commitment lined out in the 2009 bill weren't going to happen and a meek attempt to claw back the funds was made. D president, D Senate, R house.
  2021 sees the access broadband act. D president, D Senate, D house.
  By 2025 it became obvious that the commitment lined out in the 2021 bill weren't going to happen. R president, D R Senate, R house.
  ~~The only constant is a Democratic Senat so clearly that's the problem! Right?~~
  Edit: wrong session for 2025 caucus. It's all Rs there.
- We need a new 4th branch of government that's in charge of infrastructure and public welfare.
  
  No, we really just need to stop selecting between two bad presidents over and over again. If you always pick the second-worst option, you’re going to have a bad time. Pick the best option. Ranked choice voting is the only way.
  
  How would this branch be structured? How would it interface with the other branches? How would its members be appointed? What does "Infrastructure and Public Welfare" entail? Why are "Infrastructure" and "Public Welfare" grouped together? What powers would it have to carry out its job, and what specifically is that job? Based on those previous answers, how would it solve any existing or foreseeable issues? Why would it be better positioned to solve those issues than a change made within the existing three-branch framework?
- It’s because USA has nukes my friend. The only way your enemies can attack you is through asymmetric warfare, mostly by corrupting your political system so that you attack yourself.
  If you’ve wondered why everything looks like a coup since he got in, perhaps it is because it is one.
  https://lemmy.world/post/31401705
  https://youtu.be/AaKFx5rxdmA
  https://smartelections.us/
  https://electiontruthalliance.org/
  And if you’re wondering why Democrats like Tim Walz are not even interested in investigating it themselves, well, the existence of certain files and whether or not they are disclosed could have something to do with that.
- stop voting them in then
  
  If it were just my vote that mattered, they wouldn't be in office. But I understand the sentiment.
Such a predictable outcome by the shittiest people on the planet.
- We are truly living in a kakistocracy right now.
  
  that's a feature of capitalism…
- People is stretching it. They are subhuman pedophiles all
  
  Well, they all started as humans and then turned into twisted creatures by staggering amounts of wealth and luxury.
Didn't ISPs just get tens of billions of dollars to expand high-speed connections to rural areas? For the second time?
- No that was just free money we gave them.
  
  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.
- 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.
  
  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!
  
  You sure that wasn't rolled back to give that money to Jeff Bezos so he could have a really really expensive wedding?
- 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.
  
  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.
- I'm surprised US doesn't have gigabit as a standard already. I'm upgrading to 10 gigabit next month here (Portugal)...
  
  Much of it does, but as far as standard, I'm not sure.
Next up EPA switches to visual inspection of water sources for purity.
- They'll just have AI do it. Can't afford real eyes.
  
  But...
  Real eyes realise real lies...
  It's all in the rhyme there.
  
  The AI will end up costing 3x the amount it did before but the company is owned by some senator’s son so the agency will lock in a 20 year deal.
- Honestly expecting them to defluoridate water any second now, citing quack sources, and will then be aghast at skyrocketing dental issues.
  ... Dental will still be a luxury insurance, of course.
  
  plus untreated dental diseases, like caries, gingivitis, periconitis can lead to more serious infections. also the immense pain you would feel before it even gets "worst"
  
  Why the fuck would they care about dental issues? Those are elective bones that only rich people should have anyway.
- It's funny that you think they'll inspect it at all.
  It will be left up to the states, and only blue states who actually care enough to fund their DEP will do anything.
  Which would 100% lead to illness and death.
10 years from now USA is gonna be a 3rd world country with all these cuts.
- Trump was always obsessed with "shit hole countries". Now he's turning the US into one of them.
  
  He wants us to be exactly like Russia. Complete shithole company run by the oligarchy, who live lavish luxury lives.
- Not even gonna take 10 years. By the end of Spray Tan's term the country is gonna be a complete toilet.
  
  Assuming he doesn't find a way to stay in office indefinitely.
- It's already a 3rd world country, has been for some time now.
- From Europe it has already looked like a 3rd world country for at least a few years.
- I wish someone would look up what "3rd World" means and stop conflating the unaligned movement with poverty.
  
  You should look up how many people in the US are under the poverty line.
- We always have been a 3rd world country
Why does everything have to be so fucking political?
Faster broadband is good. Who fucking cares what political party?
- But corporations don’t want to spend money on customers, so they’d rather keep customers on slow speeds and charge the same price.
  
  so they’d rather keep customers on slow speeds and charge the same price.
  Be fair. The prices go up.
- For rural communities to get higher speeds ISPs have to actually use the money the government gives them for increasing rural community internet speeds on increasing rural community internet speeds. If broadband is defined as "one house in the county has access to internet as fast as your grandparents had growing up" then they've already met their goal and they don't need to spend any money and collect pure profit from government subsidies.
  Biden thought that was bullshit and established policy to direct them to do the right thing. The current administration, however, is more than happy taking their checks to the back.
  
  We should not be giving private entities cash without rigid metrics and timelines. In fact, we should claw back what we've given them.
- Why does everything have to be so fucking political?
  When will people who say shit like this wake the fuck up and realize that life is political?
  Grow up and deal with it like everyone else, fucking cowards.
  
  and deal with it like everyone else
  no, not like that, that doesn't do anything useful
- Well yeah, we all know it's good. That's why Republicans want to take it away.
- Why does everything have to be so fucking political?
  The problem with ignoring politics is that politics is never going to ignore you.
- The wedge is already in place. They just keep pounding on it. This is 100% what happens when corporations and governments become one.
- It's especially funny how Republicans are against regulations because according to them, it stifles progress and innovation. So why are they against regulations that try to force progress and innovation?
  Of course we know why, because it's all a lie. They just want more money for the 1%. How there is even a single (non-1%'er) idiot left that votes for them is waaaay beyond me.
Keep poor people in the dark or they won’t vote for you.
other country: lets bring in gig speeds Japan: futile we have and are testing terrabytes.. America: i like cheese.. govt cheese
- Terabit per second speed is not impressive for backbone links. I could go to the office tomorrow and grab all the stuff needed to install one on our line through the alps, just by bundling 3 links of 400 Gbit/s with stuff we already have, and I'm working for a small to medium ISP.
  What you are likely referring to, is the 1 Pbit/s over 1800 km demonstration that NICT presented at the OFC this year. That's impressive.
  
  Neat. I’ve heard of backbones and T1-T3 lines. Butt that’s crazy, and makes sense.
From a Swede with gigabit internet: didn't you Americans already give a lot of money to your ISPs to build fiber? Maybe time to demand a ROI?
- Please don't remind me.
  I wish these companies would all just go bankrupt and die already.
  
  Kinda hard when they’ve gone full mafioso and split up the country into territories so that we only have like one choice and have to be a customer. Because capitalism runs on no competition and monopolies, right?
  
  There should be daily reminders until there are consequences imho.
- that was ages ago, they took the money and never developed it, they started to do something last year with biden, but trump reversed. Just like with HIGH RAIL system in california, trump blocked it all.
- $100+ a month is normal, and gigabit internet is not available everywhere
  
  I pay 639 SEK per month for 1 GB full duplex. And gigabit internet should be available in at least most of America, why else did you give away all that money?
FCC: Doing our job deemed extraneous.
Analysis of broadband affordability deemed "extraneous" by FCC chair.
The royal court is displeased with matters of the common peasantry
We will kill the effort with but a word
We will accept no further pleas for explanation
Sounds like bullshit coming down the pipes to try and distract us from the news that the commander in chief is a kiddy diddler
Broadband quality:
Great
Good
Decent
Whatever ✅
Such great. So many again
Get ready for your shitty internet to cost even more.
sigh
https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/publications/detail/the-42-billion-internet-program-that-has-connected-0-people
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcZxaFfxloo
  this interview has an excellent breakdown why progress is so hard, democrats decide if they cannot have everything, and be fair to everyone nothing gets done. its infuriating
Thank God we're also eliminating cheap solar panels from China. Who wants an energy source so unreliable. It literally didn't even shine for most of the entire time. Sure it's been lit for just a few million years but whatever are you gonna do when it eventually runs out of helium and hydrogen?
I'd prefer the new ford trash diesel hybrid....just start the engine on gasoline, switch to diesel, then just dump your trash for that week in the back and wait for the big ass black plume to reduce yo just a healthy soot. It can get 23miles per trashcan!..sorry, 2.3 downhill miles. Isn't it great? Mr.TrashyBurn!
Say it with me people.
Seperate infrastructure and service!
If the companies responsible for laying cable and wires weren't tied to a single brand we'd instantly break the monopolies by town that we currently have. They would also focus on maintaining the infrastructure and growing the network instead of the profits going elsewhere.
As someone who has had download speeds above gigabit all throughout the 2020s so far (and for under $60/mo as well), it blows my mind that there are parts of the country that still don't even have 10% of that.
Like what I'm saying is that even cell phone towers can do multi-gig speeds these days FFS, so there's no excuse even for rural areas to not have at least a couple of reliable gigabit options available, no matter where you are in the country.
If they can figure out reliable 5G in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, surely they can install an antenna on grandpa's farm and beam a 2.5Gbps signal directly to his rooftop. I mean my 1400Mbps line comes in through a 5G gateway sitting in my kitchen window sill and it has been just as reliable as fiber for me, even with a giant pine tree in the way blocking line-of-sight to the tower. ISPs need to stop making up excuses, and actually start investing those outrageous monthly fees they collect into better infrastructure.
- What ISP do you have, $50 sounds great. My gb never goes beyond 450mbps but it definitely drops to sub 10mbps sometimes. And that's $70/month. Which I thought I was doing fairly well after coming off how bad Spectrum was for me previously. (Mine currently is through the local power/water company)
  
  Verizon 5G Home Internet. The one with the big box that goes in your window, not the one with the smaller box that can go anywhere in the house.
  
  This really depends on where you live. All broadnands are micro monopolies. I wish we'd pull a EU and split infrastructure and service. We'd get better speeds and prices everywhere
This screws over Trump supporters primarily, so go right ahead.
- Dumb take. When the Trump supporters can't get good internet speeds from their local broadband infrastructure thanks to crap like this, they turn to Starlink, prop up fascist Elmo, and to boot they have it reinforced to them once again that the 'government is useless, only the Free Market ©® can provide good quality services'.
  
  Why shouldn't they turn to Starlink if it's better than their local ISPs? If it offers better service I'd use it too. Objectively, Starlink is pretty great. If local ISPs don't invest in their infrastructure they deserve to lose customers. I don't understand your take at all. If you don't think the folks on the boards of those ISPs aren't just as evil as Musk you're not paying attention.
- I want good things, and this is a bad thing that hurts stupid people more
  That doesn't make it a good thing
  
  I never said I'm happy about this, but leopards eating faces is the only thing keeping me sane.
Shocker.
This is the same administration who is going all-in on oil and coal for energy production. Nobody should be surprised.
Taking us back in time in more ways than one. Thanks MAGAts.
- MAGA is really MANG
  Making America Not Great
But WHY???
- Money
- You don't want to stifle innovation by adding a bunch of regulations, do you?
  /s
So glad I don't live in that shithole any more.
So shrinkflation to show affordability. Got it.
They see what is happening either the electorate turning on Israel, DSA members getting elected, and they would rather sentence the country to terminal technological/economic decline than allow it to proliferate.
Just republicans setting things up to fuck us again.
Comcast and all the rest of those shithead parasites lobbied the heck out of this, I bet. And money talks big, especially in our current whorehouse, I mean, white house.
Every other country in the world is trying to make their population smarter and more connected, and we're trying our hardest to make our people stupider with less access to information.
Why have we allowed the most corrupt, despicable people to make decisions for us?
- Because society has frowned on punching people who desperately need it in the face!
A modem walks into a bar. The bar tender says:
'W' is 01010111.
'e' is 01100101.
'l' is 01101100.
'c' is 01100011.
'o' is 01101111.
'm' is 01101101.
'e' is 01100101.
' ' (space) is 00100000.
't' is 01110100.
'o' is 01101111.
' ' (space) is 00100000.
'A' is 01000001.
'm' is 01101101.
'e' is 01100101.
'r' is 01110010.
'i' is 01101001.
'c' is 01100011.
'a' is 01100001
Yet another thing that Biden somehow managed to fail us on.
Did he do anything to protect our rights or our freedoms or was it all just incremental budget bills to fund projects that are going to keep their billionaire donors happy?
Edit:
USPS
FCC
DOJ
Just a few American services he refused to utilize and fix.
Wanna talk about other broken promises?
failed on government option of health care
failed on overall student loan forgiveness and a failure to use the broad powers the supreme court just granted that office
failed on increase to federal minimum wage
shutdown railroad strike and forced a suboptimal deal on to the union workers
prosecute trump (this one defines his legacy after Gaza)
funded a genocide
allowed covid protections that lifted 50% of children in poverty out of poverty to expire
failed to address rising prices
failed to leave a marked impact on the everyday lives of Americans
Name one permanent thing that he did that still benefits the majority of Americans today.
- Republicans fuck us.
  Are the Republicans the problem?
  No, it must be the Democrats.
  
  How many times does the opposition party need to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory for it to form the clear composite picture of complicity?
  
  Yeah the Democrats are doing so much to stop the Republicans now 🙄
  Definitely seems like they are the warrior of the people.
  They're definitely not answering any corporate overlords or imposing political strategies that are known to fail and haven't worked in nearly 20 years in order not to offend their donors.
  No we can ignore the dramatic shifts the Kamala campaign talk in order to appeal to moderates that resulted in her getting less conservative votes than biden did in 2020.
  Let's ignore the geriatric old man that also promised to run again despite the fact that nobody wanted him to and internal DNC polling predicting it would be an abject failure.
  Finally let's not forget the genocide they funded with open arms and full throated support proving to be the reason that one in three absentee voters who voted in 2020 did not vote in 2024.
  Yep let's just ignore all of the bumblefuckery of the Democrats and how they literally fumbled an election that was on a silver platter.
  I mean it's clear they haven't learned their lesson my removing David hog and not really supporting Zohran mamdani. The official org president has come out and supported him but notable Democratic leaders still haven't endorsed him.
  No it was definitely the Republicans who only capitalized on the failure of the Democrats to do literally anything useful.
- How do you remember to breathe when you're this breathtakingly stupid?
  
  Name a single permanent policy that he put in place that benefits the majority of Americans today.
- lemmy.ml, opinion discarded.
  
  Genetic fallacy detected.
  Inability to engage with constructive points noted.
  Anything else that you would like to declare about your lack of literacy or your inability to criticize?
- failed on government option of health care
  That was Obama who promised this, not Biden
  failed on overall student loan forgiveness
  Because he isn't a dictator. The GOP supreme court killed it. Because the GOP had a majority. And they had a majority because Ralph Nadar voters threw Bush the election in 2000.
  and a failure to use the broad powers the supreme court just granted that office
  Could be.
  prosecute trump
  Agree 100% on this. FUCK!!!
  failed to address rising prices
  This is simplistic. The US actually had a lower inflation rate than most 1st world countries did.
  failed to leave a marked impact on the everyday lives of Americans
  He reduced ACA premiums for everyone using that insurance. He increased tax credits for all Americans with dependents.
  
  Biden govt health option https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/health-202-biden-public-option-health-insurance/amp/
  Right the president's not supposed to be a dictator so it would have been helpful to get some of those rulings on the books before Trump became president. How do you get there by utilizing the power that the Supreme Court gave to Biden.
  Yes the US does have one of the lowest inflation rates from 2020 completely ignores purchasing power of the average person in the United States compared to those in the rest of the world.
  The ACA is a Band-Aid and while lowering premiums is a good thing he didn't exactly lower them past the point of their increase in inflation. Trump did do the tax credit thing Biden just continued it and Trump is continuing it again.

171 comments