25 Mbps down, 3 Mbps up is unnecessarily fast, senators say
A group of six U.S. senators this week told the Federal Communications Commission its current broadband benchmark of 25 megabits per second download speeds, 3 Mbps upload speeds could potentially dissuade service providers wary of increased regulation.
Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) sent a letter articulating their concerns to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler.
Last year the FCC changed its broadband benchmark speeds from 4 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload speeds to the new standard. The senators called the new speed thresholds “arbitrary” and pointed out the Connect America Fund, which subsidizes rural broadband deployments with federal dollars, requires service providers to provide 10 Mbps down, 1 Mbps up.
“Looking at the market for broadband applications, we are aware of few applications that require download speeds of 25 Mbps,” the letter states. “Netflix, for example, recommends a download speed of 5 Mbps to receive high-definition streaming video and Amazon recommends a speed of 3.5 Mbps. In addition, according to the FCC’s own data, the majority of Americans who can purchase 25 Mbps service choose not to.”
The senators also discuss how the FCC’s posture toward broadband speeds could potentially cause service providers to fear further regulations.
“More importantly, you have indicated that because fewer providers offer speeds of 25/3 Mbps or greater, more regulation may be appropriate for providers that offer such speeds,” the letter continues. “By suggesting that offering speeds at or above 25/3 Mbps will subject a provider to additional regulation, we fear that you are putting in place disincentives for providers to offer these higher speeds – a result that no one wants.”
