News - July 15, 2022

INCOMPAS: FCC Must Raise Internet Speeds to Meet Market Demand and Global Competition  

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 15, 2022) –
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is finally looking to raise the minimum internet speed benchmarks. It was reported today that a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) has been circulated at the FCC proposing to raise the broadband speed benchmark to 100/20 Mbps now, with a gigabit goal for the future. 

INCOMPAS, which has been leading the effort to raise U.S. Internet speeds benchmarks, is urging the FCC to reject slower intermediate steps and jump into the future by adopting the gigabit standard now as it is the current marketplace standard. (Read our report here.)

In response, Chip Pickering, CEO of INCOMPAS, released the following statement:

“For years INCOMPAS has been calling on the FCC to increase internet speeds in the United States from the sluggishly slow 25/3 Mbps benchmark in favor of gigabit goals. The US invented the internet, but we have fallen behind China, Europe and other nations who have set much higher standards than are currently being proposed. 

“Gigabit speed standards promote new job creating deployment and are critical to both our economic and national security. Setting faster speed goals protects families’ and small businesses from being stuck with internet that is too slow for school, health care and the jobs of the future. Moreover, gigabit speeds are the marketplace standard today. Even large cable companies, who lobby for the slower speeds of the past, are blanketing the airwaves with advertisements for their gigabit services. We hope the FCC notices this contradiction and is mindful of the slow speed trap that threatens to exploit the digital divide. 

“We are pleased to see Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel taking this important first step toward increasing internet speed benchmarks, and we encourage the entire FCC to think bigger and bolder by setting gigabit goals today that unleash a faster, better future for all American families and businesses.”