Video: Wilson NC – a muni-broadband success story #broadband #muni #fiber
Guy Daniels, of TelecomTV, reports from Wilson NC, a city that decided to build its own fiber network to stimulate the economy and create jobs in the ICT sector.
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joly
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joly
Claude Aiken at New York Law School Mon 11/15 #broadband #nyc
The New York Law School Institute for Information Law & Policy is holding a discussion with NYLS Alum, Claude Aiken ’08, about his role at the FCC. Â Mr. Aiken is Legal Counsel to the Senior Advisor to the Chairman on Broadband at the FCC, where he advises the Chairman’s office on issues relating to the National Broadband Plan. Â Prior to this, he was an Honors Program Attorney in the Wireline Competition Bureau where he focused on broadband competition and universal service issues. Â He also serves as a board member and general counsel for 100cameras, Inc., a non-profit that uses photography to help underprivileged youth.What: A Man, A Plan, Broadband
When: Monday, November 15, 2010 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Where: Room SW930 – 9th Floor of 40 Worth St. NYC
RSVP: If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to naomi.allen@nyls.edu
Lunch will be served. -
joly
ISOC-NY EVENT: Building tomorrow’s broadband – Nov 17 2010 #nyc #broadband #fiber
Discussion of Net Neutrality has often involved policy discussions about regulating or rationing bandwidth as a scarce resource.On Wednesday, November 17th, ISOC-NY will host a panel with people who are building tomorrow’s broadband infrastructure to create an abundance of bandwidth that could one day make these issues moot.
Date: Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Time: 7-9 pm
Place: Room 201 Warren Weaver Hall 251 Mercer St NYC (just southeast of Washington Square)
Webcast: http://livestream.com/isocny
Hashtag #isoc-ny
The event is free and open to the public. Photo ID must be presented to gain access to the building.
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joly
NTIA Digital Nation II – minorities lagging in adoption #broadband #digitaldivide
The NTIA has issued Digital Nation II – a follow up to February’s Digital Nation report. Amongst the findings:- the percentage of households that connect to the Internet using broadband grew to 63.5 percent in 2009 from 9.2 percent in 2001
- 65.9 percent of urban households subscribed to broadband in 2009, compared with 51 percent of rural households.
- 94.1 percent of households with income exceeding $100,000 subscribed to broadband in 2009, compared with 35.8 percent of households with income of less than $25,000.
- 84.5 percent of households with at least one college degree subscribed to broadband last year, compared with 28.8 percent of households without a high school degree.
- 77.3 percent of Asian-American households and 68 percent of non-Hispanic white households subscribed to broadband last year, compared with 49.4 percent of African-American households and 47.9 percent of Hispanic households.
- 38 percent of Americans who don’t have broadband at home say they don’t subscribe because they don’t need it, while 26 percent say it’s too expensive and only 4 percent say it’s not available where they live.
Notably, the analysis discovered a gap of 10 percentage points in broadband use between whites and blacks and a gap of 14 percentage points between whites and Hispanics even after controlling for socio-economic factors.
Although the data do not provide an explanation for these numbers, Rebecca Blank, under secretary for Economic Affairs, believes it could reflect limited exposure to the Internet among certain racial groups.
“Internet usage relies on networks,” she said. “If the people around you don’t use the Internet, you will be less likely to use the Internet, too.
Lawrence Strickling, head of the NTIA, stressed that one key challenge for policymakers lies in convincing Americans who are not online of the benefits of broadband.
- NTIA press release
[Source: AP]
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joly
FCC Technical Advisory Council – first meeting is Nov 4 #fcc #tac #broadband
The FCC’s newly formed Technical Advisory Council (TAC) will hold it’s first open meeting on Nov 4 1pm-4m. The TAC will “discuss organizational matters, be briefed on key technical issues facing the Commission, and will work to define the issues that the Council will address.”Live coverage will be via reboot.fcc.gov
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joly
Broadband comes to Harlem – Public Meeting Friday Oct 1
Friday, October 1, 2010 at 11 am Broadband comes to HarlemHarlem Consumer Education Council, Congressman Charles Rangel and the New York Public Library present Broadband comes to Harlem. Hear about the National Broadband Plan 2011 from Keynote Speaker Commissioner Mignon Clyburg of the Federal Communications Commission. Come listen to the Department of Commerce/National Telecommunications and Information Adminsitration (NTIA) define broadband and its role in our community and what it means to Harlem and you. NYPL, Harlem Library, 9 West 124th Street, NY NY 212-348-5620 -
joly
FCC to M2Z: forgeddaboutit!
We have earlier noted the longstanding efforts of M2Z to obtain free spectrum in return for a nationwide free wi-fi service. According to The Register the FCC has finally pulled the plug on the deal, announcing that the desired unused AWS-3 spectrum will be auctioned off towards the middle of next year.
In The Register’s opinion this “scuppers” any chance of a nationwide free wireless IP network.
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joly
Free eBook on Rural WISP strategy #broadband
Fierce Wireless and Motorola are offering a free ebook Broadband Revolution on strategy for Rural Wireless Internet Service Providers.Contents:
- How Wireless ISPs Play a Vital Role in Bringing Broadband to Underserved Markets
- Thinking Outside of the Traditional Broadband Revenue Model
- Spectrum: The Lifeblood of the National Broadband Plan
- Local WISPs Outmaneuver Telecome Giants
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joly
Geoff Huston on Wired vs. Wireless #broadband
Geoff Huston’s latest Internet Society ISP Column examines the Australian scenario where, in the recent election, the vying parties plumped down on either side of the wired vs wireless question. He concludes that, just like the election, there is no outright winner.He notes the reality that while wireless IP service often actually costs less to provide, users are prepared to pay more for it, giving providers little incentive to invest in wire. But wireless bandwidth scalability is, ultimately, limited. What’s more its inherent unreliability is TCP hostile. However ubiquitous wireless service would be a lot cheaper to implement: $6B (AUS) vs $43B (AUS) for wired.
He then gets to the big question, which all countries including the USA are having to address, namely how much of the taxpayer’s money is worth expending, and to what effect:
Where should public funds be spent? On a comprehensive revamp of the wired access network, replacing the aged copper pair telephone network with a highly capable fibre optic network? Or on improving access in those areas where the copper pair network simply cannot support high speed access by public investment in wireless infrastructure?
In trying to answer this question, we return to a persistent theme in the area of public communications infrastructure. What’s the role of public capital investment and how is that balanced against the role of private capital investment? Is it possible for private investment to fulfill the entirety of a public agenda? Given that a capable, cost efficient and effective public communications infrastructure that encompasses an entire national constituency is seen as a core deliverable of any national communications policy regime, then how is this best achieved today?
To move back from generalities to the specifics of this broadband investment choice, is it realistic to expect that we have further decades of useful life from an already ageing copper pair infrastructure? As a consequence, should current public investment focus on current gaps in the national infrastructure, using a relatively cost effective approach of plugging these gaps using wireless infrastructure where the copper network is simply inadequate, and leave the remainder of the network in situ, as being adequate for the moment Or should we leave such wireless infrastructure investment to private enterprise, given that this technology is enjoying strong consumer attention and there is a continuing investment in wireless infrastructure by the industry actors. Instead, should a public investment program focus on a longer term national program of replacing the copper loop with a comprehensive fibre optic network? From such a longer term perspective perhaps the NBN is the better approach, as we need to concede that the level of investment required for a national very high speed access infrastructure in a fibre access network is probably well beyond the scope of private capital works investment. So far all that the industry has achieved in this space has been the rewiring of the CBDs in the major cities, while the upgrading of remainder of the network has been effectively ignored. It appears that this is, like many major infrastructure projects in the past, one that properly sits in the realm of a public investment program, in the same way that we’ve made investments in national road, rail and shipping infrastructure in the past.
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joly
NY and NJ awarded Broadband Grants #btop #broadband
The Obama administration has announced the recipients of the second round of Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) funding. $1.8 billion from the American Recovery and Investment Act will fund broadband expansion in 37 states, including New York and New Jersey.Local projects receiving funds include:
- New Jersey Department of Treasury: nearly $39.7 million for public safety agencies in Northern New Jersey, to deploy an interoperable wireless public safety broadband network.
- Windstream Corporation: $856,000 for Windstream to offer broadband at up to 12 MB/sec in several communities in the NY State’s farthest western corner.
- New York State Department of Labor:Â $536,000, with $230,000 more in matching contributions, to expand occupational skills training and career planning services to low-income areas.
[Source: NYConvergence]
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joly
Audio: Aug 11 Fiber Infra Panel at TMT10 Conference #fiber #TMT10
The Oppenheimer 2010 Annual Technology, Media & Telecommunications Conference took place August 10-11, 2010 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston. A webcast is available of audio of the Fiber Infra Panel (free login required).
The panel included Hunter Newby of Allied Fiber and an extended slideset of his recent ISOC-NY presentation is provided as an adjunct to the audio. Other panelists are Dan Caruso of Zayo, Bill LaPerch of Abovenet,
NiQ Lay of HKBN and Frank Mambuca of US Metrotel. -
joly
FCC issues 7th Notice of Inquiry on Broadband
The FCC has issued its 7th Notice of Inquiry on Broadband.The 2010 Sixth Broadband Deployment Report defined broadband as “a transmission service that actually enables an end user to download content at speeds of at least 4 megabits per second (Mbps) and to upload content at speeds of at least 1 Mbps â€. Under this definition somewhere between 14 million and 24 million Americans are unserved .
Among other details, the 7th NOI asks:
- Is the current definition of broadband service the correct one?
- Should “broadband†and the statutory term “advanced telecommunications capacity†be treated synonymously?
- How should the Commission interpret the word “available†for purposes of broadband service? Is affordability a component of broadband availability?
- Should broadband data be analyzed on a census tract or county basis?
- Should the Commission’s analysis of broadband availability take into account other ways in which it is available, such as through schools and Wi-Fi hotspots?
Comments are due September 7, 2010, and reply comments on October 5 2010
[Source: CommLawBlog]
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joly
Bronx to be pilot for M2Z free wireless project, but only if…
The NY Times reports County Executives of America, a national group of elected officials, has proposed a plan to provide free broadband wireless service to more than 400,000 households in the Bronx. The borough was selected along with 11 other counties across the country for the project, a proof of concept for nationwide plan.
The project is to be built by M2Z Networks – a company that was in the news in 2007 when the FCC denied its application for a healthy swath of spectrum (2155-2175MHz) in return for building a nationwide wireless network.  The FCC revived the idea in 2008 with an open bidding process, upping the speed from 368kbps to 768kbps and including an – eventually dropped – controversial requirement that content be filtered.  Other companies were not in favor of giving any one company such dominance over such a service, and another company NetFreeUS proposed a much more open scenario involving devolution to local providers and a certain amount of spectrum set aside as  ‘commons’.  With the change of the guard at the FCC the plan stalled but now M2Z have got together with the Counties to  try and kickstart it back into action. The only holdup? The FCC has to approve the spectrum deal and the NTIA has to kick in $122m of stimulus funds.
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DOUG FRAZIER
FIND IT QUITE INTERESTING THAT M2Z PROPOSES TO OFFER PSEUDO FREE SERVICE IF THEY ARE GRANTED 122 MILLION IN FEDERAL DOLLARS AMONG OTHER THINGS….IE. GAINING ACCESS TO SO CALLED FALLOW SPECTRUM…WHILE AT THE SAME TIME THE NTIA HAS NOT GRANTED ANY GROUP OF COLOR A GRANT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT…HERE WE HAVE A YET ANOTHER WELL FINANCED GROUP OFFER TO DO “GOOD DEEDS ” IN THE NAME OF THE UNDERSERVED …YET ONE HAS TO PONDER WHY IS THERE A UNDER SERVED TO BEGIN WITH? COULD IT BE THERE ARE NOT ANY MEANING FULL OPPORTUNITIES? FOR SOME GROUPS ??
NEW YORK CITY SPENDS OVER 750 MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY ON TELECOM SERVICES (THAT WOULD BE TAXPAYER MONEY INCLUDING UNDERSERED FOLKS AS WELL) …AND THAT IS SPENT WITH FOR THE MOST PART EXCLUSIVELY WITH BIG COMPANIES …YET WE WONDER WHY THERE IS AN UNDERSERVED IN TECHNOLOGY AND WITH THAT TYPE OF GOVT. SPEND NO LESS …PLEASE!!!! THE NOTION OF ELECTRONIC DISCRIMINATION IS PERHAPS LIVE AND WELL… IT SAYS HERE THERE NEED NOT BE IF WE HOLD GOVT FEET TO THE FIRE AND STOP THE FEEDING AT THE THROUGH FOR THESE BIG COMPANIES AT THE EXPENSE OF ALL OF US ..THE ABILITY TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN EFFICIENT UBIQUITOUS NETWORKS WITH BACKING FROM GOVT CAN AND SHOULD BE DONE ….AND IT CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT BRINGING FORBEARANCE AND DOOM ON PRIVATE FOR PROFIT COMPANIES ….MAYBE SOMEONE OUGHT TO SPEAK UP AND ACTUALLY DO SOMTHING……SIGNED MEMBERS OF THE DIGITAL DIVIDE PARTNERSHIP -
joly
Update: FCC to M2Z: forgeddaboutit!
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joly
MIT Study Finds Broadband Data Underestimated
A new study Understanding Broadband Speed Measurements by MIT researchers disputes the FCC’s claim that Internet data rates in the US are only half as high as those advertised to consumers. Methods typically used for measuring Internet data rates, the researchers say, underestimate the speed of the ISP-controlled access network and various other factors – including the location of test servers – can affect data results. The researchers say the government needs better data to establish policy. The MIT Internet Traffic Analysis Study (MITAS) has been presented to both the FCC and the US Federal Trade Commission; the research team will present a portion of its findings in October to the Telecommunications, Policy, and Research Conference in Arlington, Virginia.
- MIT story
- RedOrbit story
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joly
NY Times: Broadband Availability to Expand
NY Times Story Broadband Availability to Expand
Selected quotes:
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is seeking to nearly double the wireless communications spectrum available for commercial use over the next 10 years, an effort that could greatly enhance the ability of consumers to send and receive video and data with smartphones and other hand-held devices.
President Obama will sign a presidential memorandum on Monday that aims to make available for auction some 500 megahertz of spectrum that is now controlled by the federal government and private companies, administration officials said Sunday.
Specifically, the presidential memorandum will direct the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to identify federally controlled communications bands that can be made available within five years for exclusive or shared use by commercial companies.
Roughly 45 percent of the spectrum to be auctioned would come from federal government agencies that will be asked to give up allocations that they are not using or could share, according to administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity so as not to upstage the announcement.
The remainder would come from unused spectrum already scheduled for auction or from broadcasters and other spectrum licensees who would be offered incentives to give up or share parts of their communications airwaves. Currently, the spectrum for wireless communications is about 547 megahertz.
Lawrence H. Summers, the director of the National Economic Council and assistant to the president for economic policy, is expected to detail the broadband effort in a lunchtime speech in Washington to the New America Foundation, a public policy institute
Some spectrum also would be made available for free, unlicensed use by start-up companies and others, administration officials said. Such unlicensed spectrum has previously helped in the development of cordless phones, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth applications.
Harold Feld, legal director of Public Knowledge, a consumer-oriented policy group, said the interest of consumers will be most helped by auctions that help to promote competition between wireless companies rather than entrenching the dominant providers in the market.
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joly
Report: Broadband Adoption in Low-Income Communities
As part of the preparation for the National Broadband Plan the Social Science Research Council was asked by the FCC to prepare a report – Broadband Adoption in Low-Income Communities which was issued in March 2010.Conclusions:
(1) Broadband access is increasingly a prerequisite of social and economic inclusion, and low-income communities know it. Demand for broadband in these communities is consequently growing, even as the economic crisis undermines family and community resources to support Internet use.
(2) Price is only one factor shaping the fragile equilibrium of home broadband adoption, and price pressures go beyond the obvious challenge of high monthly fees. Limited availability, poor quality of service, hardware costs, hidden fees, and billing transparency are major issues for low-income communities.
(3) Libraries and other intermediaries fill the gap between low home adoption and high community demand, and providing Internet access and related support is increasingly part of the core missions of these institutions. Even as home broadband becomes more prevalent, third spaces have a crucial role to play as safety nets for access, and as providers of training and task-based assistance for their communities. Often this helps users gain the skills that lead to confident, sustainable home broadband adoption.
Further notes:
- Of those who have ever had broadband at home, 22% are now un-adopters, mainly due to financial concerns.
- Bad service by ISPs was a constant factor in non-adoption.
- Business increasingly benefits through training and job-seeking activity at community access centers, without bearing the cost.
- Investments in Internet proficiency remain critically important in low-income communities
- Investments in promoting or justifying Internet use to low-adoption communities, in contrast, would appear to be a waste of money.
- There is a continuing need for efficient, resilient ways of accessing essential social services in person, via telephone, and via paper correspondence.
- Social service providers need to re-evaluate eligibility criteria to include Internet access.
- Expensive triple-play plans are an unaffordable luxury that can exacerbate poverty of access.
The report’s appendix includes an exhaustive directory of community access organizations across the nation.
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joly
Video: Susan Crawford at PdF 2010 – Rethinking Broadband
Susan Crawford spoke at the Personal Democracy Forum conference on Jun 4 2010. Her topic “Rethinking Broadband”
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joly
The Future of FCC Broadband Authority – DC 5/27
On May 27 2010 the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania will bring together academics and policy analysts to consider the implications of the recent FCC decision to opt for a “third way” in asserting its jurisdiction to implement policy for broadband service to U.S. homes.
On what basis, if any, does the FCC exercise jurisdiction over broadband access in pursuit of national goals? FCC Chairman Genachowski announced on May 6 that he intended to pursue a “Third Way” between the current “ancillary authority” approach and full imposition of Title II “telecommunications service” obligations on Internet providers. Just what does this approach mean for the future of broadband competition, Internet-based innovation, and the National Broadband Plan? At this non-partisan event, legal experts and former senior policy-makers will analyze how the U.S. arrived at this point, and what steps the FCC and other branches of government should take now.
Session 1: The History and Context of the Debate
- Moderator Kevin Werbach (The Wharton School, Univ. of Pennsylvania)
- John Nakahata (Partner, Wiltshire & Grannis; former Chief of Staff, FCC)
- Jessica Rosenworcel (Sr. Counsel, Senate Commerce Committee)
- John Windhausen (Telopoly; former Sr. Counsel, Senate Commerce Committee)
Session 2: The Third Way – What Happens Next?
- Moderator Kevin Werbach (The Wharton School, Univ. of Pennsylvania)
- Yochai Benkler (Harvard Law School)
- Susan Crawford (Univ. of Michigan Law School)
- James Speta (Northwestern University Law School)
-Jon Nuechterlein (WilmerHale)
- More info:Â http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/2010/05/broadband
- Susan Crawford’s notes
- Steve Schultze’s notes
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joly
Advancing Community Broadband: Summer Discussion Series @ Columbia
Advancing Community Broadband: A Summer Discussion Series
The purpose of the Advancing Community Broadband: A Summer Discussion Series is to generate a conversation now that a number of concerned parties in New York have gone through the experience of developing broadband stimulus proposals in the first round and in the case of DOITT and DOE have been successfully funded. The idea is that once a month, a group of stakeholders will come together to discuss their thinking around the broadband stimulus, the National Broadband Plan and where they think broadband in America is headed. The meetings will be organized as a half-day forum, hosted on the campus of Columbia University.
Each half-day forum will revolve around a core theme with interrelated subthemes. The group will have in attendance speakers who will share their thoughts and ideas on the theme as a way to start a robust conversation under the broad thematic area. The discussion will be captured on video, audio and by digital still photograph as well as in written form by student rapporteurs.
The next meeting will be held on the campus of Columbia University at the Rm 520, Mudd Building, Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.
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joly
FCC RELEASES FIRST-EVER PAPER ON ACCESSIBILITY AND TECHNOLOGY ISSUES
On April 23 the FCC released A Giant Leap & A Big Deal: Delivering on the Promise of Equal Access to Broadband for People with Disabilities – a study of the numerous barriers to broadband usage faced by people with disabilities.
The study reports that:
- Only 42 percent of people with disabilities have high-speed Internet.
- 39 percent of all non-adopters have a disability.
The paper builds upon the three broad recommendations from the National Broadband Plan
*the creation of a Broadband Accessibility Working Group (“BAWGâ€) within the Executive Branch;
*the establishment of an Accessibility and Innovation Forum at the FCC
*the modernization of accessibility laws, rules, and related subsidy programs by the FCC, the Department of Justice, and Congress. -
joly
FCC kicks of National Broadband Plan with 6 proceedings including USF, and survivability
CommLawBlog notes that the FCC has launched an initial six proceedings in the National Broadband Plan program:
- A notice of inquiry (NOI) and notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on Universal Service Fund reform
- A notice of proposed rulemaking on whether to extend roaming obligations to mobile data services
- A notice of inquiry on the “survivability†of America’s broadband infrastructure
- A notice of inquiry on a proposed “Cyber Security Certification Program†for communications service providers
- A notice of inquiry and a separate further notice of proposed rulemaking on cable and satellite set-top boxes
Brief public notices  recap each: Universal Service Fund; Roaming Obligations; Survivability; Cyber Security Certification; and Set-top Boxes.
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joly
Video: National Broadband Plan Roundtable Discussion NYC 4/19
The Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI) and the Media Center at New York Law School present d The National Broadband Plan: A Roundtable Discussion on Monday, April 19, 2010 at 1 p.m.
Speakers included:
* Blair Levin, Executive Director of the National Broadband Plan at the FCC;
* Simon Flannery, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley;
* David Don, Senior Director, Public Policy at Comcast Corp.;
* Dan Margolis, attorney with Garvey Schubert Barer;
* Anna-Maria Kovacs, President of Regulatory Source Associates, LLC;
* Larry Darby of the American Consumer Institute;
* Harold Feld, Legal Director of Public Knowledge;
* James Grimmelmann of the Institute for Information Law and Policy at the New York Law School;
* Raul Katz, Professor at the Columbia Business School; and
* Chris Libertelli, Senior Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs for SkypeVideo is below:
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joly
I get in the very last question, on structural separation, at 3:33:48 or so..
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joly
Video: Lessig on National Broadband Policy
Lawrence Lessig, newly elected to the Internet Society’s Board of Trustees, gave the keynote talk at Storage Network World 2010 in Florida on Apr 12. Video is below.
Highlights:
- First telecommunications ruling ever, the Husha phone
- Followed by the second, now oft-referenced Carterphone Decision
- For $33 a month in France…
- Open Access in the FCC Broadband Report
- On Levin’s CSPAN interview – Broadband Reports, The Economist on the OECD Report
- If America’s Facilities Based services were really working…
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joly
Lauren Weinstein – Will Congress Wreck the Internet? #nbp #broadband
http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000691.html
Congress has passed legislation multiple times to impose all manner of
content controls on the Net. The Supreme Court has fought back these
laws to date, but terms-of-use precedents suggest that they might be
far more accepting of such restrictions when major taxpayer funding is
involved. -
joly
ISOC-NY member Elizabeth Stark puts the FCC Chairman on the spot!!
Chairman Genachowski answered Brooklyn-ite Elizabeth Stark’s question on cost by saying the FCC needs to eliminate all barriers to competition so more Interent providers can compete and drive down prices.
via You and the FCC Chairman discuss the Future of the Internet
cbemerine 5:26 pm on 11/27/2010 Permalink |
Thank you Guy for covering this fantastic and far sighted story. My guess is that businesses will respond and seriously consider relocating to cities and communities that follow Wilson’s lead and put in Fiber To The Home (FTTH). Thus communities with FTTH will recover faster than other communities over the next 3 to 5 years in America.
And we are talking all the way to and INTO the home, any other solution is a waste of time and money.
When Google announces their five cities in 2011 there will be just over 30 communities in the USA offering bi-directional synchronous Fiber broadband to the home. EPB has been working since the 1990s to give birth to their FTTH offerings.
This map shows you those communities: http://sn.im/1axal4 (In case other Americans are considering where to move to in order to find opportunity for themselves and their families.)
Most consumers simply do not know that their supposed broadband is restricted by their provider to below the FCC definition of broadband, 768Kbps. (Admittedly 100Mbps/100Mbps should have been the standard in 2000 and 768Kbps is very out of date with reality) Speed Tests lie and deceive, they just show you that you have the “chance” to get that speed. Those of us running DD-WRT, OpenWRT and Tomato firmware on a supported firewall/router see our actual bandwidth in real time. We see the lie for what it is. It is not uncommon (though it should be) to see a marketing promise of 16Mbps/2Mbps throttled to less than 40Kbps/10Kbps.
It should be against the law for those providers to call their service broadband if they do not meet their marketing bandwidth promises/targets at least 99.9% of the time. There is a solution, its called synchronous or bi-directional broadband…simply put the same speed upstream as downstream. That map shows you the communities that offer synchronous service. At best its false advertising, at worse it probably violates RICO statutes and should be criminal.
Thus is the state of broadband in America as of November 27, 2010! Sad, very sad!