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June 19, 2007 The Honorable Daniel K. Inouye Dear Chairman Inouye: On behalf of the Open Internet Coalition, I am writing in support of S. 1492, the Broadband Data Improvement Act. The current broadband situation in this country is unacceptable. Through the continued use of outdated data collection methodology and the absence of appropriate and relevant information, the United States-while leading the world in Internet content, applications, and technology, continues to fall behind other nations in the realm of broadband access and technology. According to the OECD, the United States was ranked 4th in broadband adoption in 2001. The United States has since fallen to 15th place as of December 2006. Our growth rate relative to the OECD nations between 2005 and 2006 ranks us 20th. The Federal Communications Commission still uses standards for collecting information about broadband markets that are severely outdated and increasingly irrelevant. The current methodology measures only network availability, ignoring other factors such as price and speed; priorities which are important to consumers. Even network availability is not measured as accurately as it should be. The FCC continues to report network availability within a 5-digit zip code, as opposed to the more precise 9-digit zip code, thus hiding network gaps and vastly embellishing availability by as much as 400%, as estimated by the Government Accountability Office. Due to obsolete methodology and inaccurate data, it has been easy to ignore the reality of the present broadband situation. We cannot continue to ignore the fact that we are being quickly surpassed by other nations that currently possess broadband capabilities unavailable to Americans and for a fraction of what it costs American consumers for slower speeds. We cannot ignore the large gaps in the country with no or limited broadband. It has been estimated that widespread adoption of basic broadband in the United States could add $500 billion to the economy and produce 1.2 million jobs. We cannot continue to support a status quo that hinders competition and technological development by fostering a duopoly between cable and DSL that provides no meaningful incentives to address our Nation's lagging when compared to our international competitors. As the only industrialized nation without an explicit national broadband policy, we must begin to make informed policy decisions about what we want the future of broadband in America to look. The first step must be acquiring the necessary and relevant data to decide what direction to take. We appreciate your leadership on this issue, and we look forward to working with you and your staff to move this bill through the legislative process. Sincerely, Cc: The Honorable Ted Stevens, Ranking Republican Members of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Download Full Letter |
Open Internet Coalition Asks Congress to Support S. 1492, the Broadband Data Improvement Act
July 18, 2007