US digital divide

is narrowing

POLICY

In 2017, the number of Americans lacking fixed broadband connections meeting the FCC benchmark speed dropped to less than 20m, according to FCC data.

Ajit Pai

CHAIRMAN OF THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

This is a decrease in excess of 25%. Approximately 5.6 million Americans gained access to high-speed connections, of which the majority live in rural areas. Earlier this year, the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) pledged an additional $67 million in annual support to bring broadband service meeting its of 25 Mbps/3 Mbps benchmark to rural America. This money aims to help rural providers to improve service to some 110,000 homes in rural communities across 43 states.

The report also shows that the number of Americans with access to 100 Mbps/10Mpbs fixed broadband increased by nearly 20% in 2017 from 244.3 million to 290.9 million. Furthermore, the number of Americans with access to 250 Mbps/50 Mbps fixed broadband grew by over 45%, to 205.2 million. The number of rural Americans with access to such service more than doubled.

“For the past two years, closing the digital divide has been the FCC’s top priority,” stated FCC Chairman Ajit Pai “We’ve been tackling this problem by removing barriers to infrastructure investment, promoting competition, and providing efficient, effective support for rural broadband expansion through our Connect America Fund.”

Rural broadband is a priority for the US federal government, with the FCC and US Department of Agriculture distributing loans and grants. The FCC plans to distribute up to $1.98 billion over 10 years as part of its Connect America Fund Phase II.

According to the recently published American Broadband Initiative Milestones Report, broadband deployment may be hindered by regulatory obstacles and could benefit from improved access to federal facilities and coordinated funding. The report suggests streamlining federal permitting processes and maximizing the impact of federal funding to speed up full-fibre deployment to rural areas in particular. The Fiber Broadband Association USA has responded positively to the measures proposed by the American Broadband Initiative.