James Losey

The current national discussion to expand access and use of broadband occurring in Washington has created an ideal time for foundations to become engaged in the issue. The current economic recession, combined with an unprecedented effort by government to directly invest in the deployment and adoption of broadband, provides an enormous opportunity for community foundations to help support beneficial projects and initiatives in communities across the country. 

The Open Technology Initiative of the New America Foundation is calling for Truth-in-Labeling by our nation's broadband operators. Drawn from similar useful disclosure requirements by lenders, these Broadband Truth-in-Labeling disclosure standards will give the marketplace a much-needed tool that clarifies and adds meaning to the terms and conditions of the service being offered. 

Washington, D.C.--Today the New America Foundation's Open Technology released 100 Megabits or Bust! An Overview of National Broadband Goals from Around the Globe, a report on the successful broadband goals of Japan, Korea, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Taiwan. This report demonstrates the viability of not only reaching universal broadband access, but also reaching the speeds that will allow for continued leadership in the growth and innovation of the Internet.

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:  

Washington, DC—Today, the New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative released a report comparing bandwidth caps for high-speed Internet—including cable modem, fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) or fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP), and Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks-in the United States and Japan.  As the report documents, a large discrepancy exists between the two countries, suggesting that U.S. policy makers should investigate market conditions in Japan to determine why their network capacity supports far more per-customer throughput than U.S. broadband networks.

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.

This document has been prepared by the New America Foundation's Open Technology initiative as an application guide for the State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program outlined in the July 1, 2009 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

This guide has been prepared by the New America Foundation’s Open Technology Initiative as a reference guide for applications for the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP).  In addition to general information about the application process and eligibility requirements outlined in the July 1, 2009 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), this guide breaks down the application into categories of responsibility and a sample timeline.  While not intended as a replacement for the