The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officially updated its definition of broadband Internet, raising the minimum speeds in the category to 25 megabits per second (Mbps) for downloads and 3 Mbps against the protests of the telecom industry.
“The current benchmark of 4 megabits per second (Mbps) was established in 2010, before the iPad had even been introduced,” FCC chair Tom Wheeler said in a statement. “Safe to say, consumer behavior and the marketplace has changed.”
Under the new definition, over 55 million Americans and one-half of rural America lacks access to advanced broadband.
The change would require cable companies to have their broadband services meet the minimum if their projects are to qualify for the FCC’s Connect American Fund, which subsidizes network development to improve Internet access for rural Americans.
