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If you've followed broadband discussions in Washington, DC, then you've heard that wireless is the future of communications.

For Immediate Release
October 25, 2010

Washington, D.C. -- Today, New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative launched Japanese and Chinese language versions of Measurement Lab (M-Lab) website to encourage Internet users based in both countries to test the speed and other performance measures of their broadband connections.

Cell phones are intertwined with our lives no matter where we are in the world. The New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative (OTI) recently completed a survey on the costs and types of mobile cell phone packages available to consumers around the world. With recent policy debates over Bill Shock and Consumer Disclosure, this study provides useful insight into business models prevalent in several key countries. Plans in some countries provide different offerings and bundled services for students, professionals, family, corporate and special needs consumers.

The New America Foundation’s Open Technology Initiative (NAF) submits these brief ex parte comments in response to the Federal Communication Commission Wireline Competition Bureau’s review of data practices. In the comments to the Commission, NAF proposed a systematic data collection effort for broadband communications including fundamental data on fixed broadband service capabilities, and Internet performance and traffic statistics. The comments offer a number of different measurement tools and strategies to collect performance statistics on broadband communications.

The National Broadband Plan was released this past Tuesday with a vision for broadband in America. The Plan proposes two goals for broadband access: a “universalization target of 4 Mbps [megabits per second] download and 1 Mbps upload,” as well as a goal that “100 million U.S. homes should have affordable access to actual download speeds of at least 100 Mbps and actual upload speeds of at least 50 Mbps by 2020.”[1] Our analyses compare universal broadband speed goals with multiple other countries from around the globe.

Washington, D.C. -- NAF and Diverse Consortium of Public Interest, Community, Media, Arts and Native American Groups Propose Significant Changes to Broadband Stimulus Programs
 
Groups file comments recommending NTIA and RUS prioritize "Comprehensive Community" middle-mile broadband projects, encourage holistic and innovative proposals, establish a small grants fund, and improve outreach and transparency
 

The New America Foundation’s Open Technology Initiative (OTI) submits comments regarding the Commission’s broadband policy study conducted by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society. OTI applauds the Commission efforts to examine key telecommunication and Internet policies in other advanced nations and believe the draft report provides vital insights into important strategies and policies that can be utilized in the Commission’s forthcoming National Broadband Plan.

On behalf of the Public Interest Spectrum Coalition, we are pleased to submit these reply comments regarding the Commission’s Notice of Inquiry on Fostering Innovation and Investment in the Wireless Communications Market. As the Commission noted, the market for wireless broadband services has been evolving at an extraordinarily rapid pace and is delivering new and empowering technologies to American consumers. Most recently, this is reflected in an exploding consumer demand for mobile data with the increasing use and availability of smartphones and aircard modems.

When the Federal Communications Commission delivers a National Broadband Plan to Congress in February 2010 the United States will not be among the first countries to implement a national broadband strategy. Taiwan, Japan, and Korea all introduced national broadband strategies in the beginning of this decade and fifteen European Union Member states proposed National Broadband Strategies in 2003. This report reviews successful strategies and goals from six of these countries: Japan, Korea, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Taiwan.

Determining an appropriate definition of broadband is a critical part of the Commission's development of a National Broadband Plan. An appropriate definition is essential not only for establishing "what is broadband" and "where is it available," but also for shaping the future trajectory of telecommunications innovation in the United States. The Open Technology Initiative of the New America Foundation makes the following recommendations for the Commission to consider in defining broadband:

As part of the Open Technology Initiative's continuing research to compare international broadband capabilities and policies, we have completed this report comparing bandwidth or usage cap policies between Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the United States and Japan. Bandwidth caps are imposed limits on the amount of data or traffic a subscriber can consume over their Internet connection.