WASHINGTON, D.C. – December 4, 2023 – INCOMPAS CEO Chip Pickering released the following statement on the association’s recent filing in the Federal Communications Commission’s Notice of Inquiry, to section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and the Commission’s next annual assessment concerning the “availability of advanced telecommunications capability to all Americans.”
“Connectivity is the key to participating in our new global online society. However, just any connection isn’t good enough anymore. INCOMPAS commends the FCC for proposing to adopt a higher fixed broadband performance benchmark, but we think it can go further. Our world demands a fast, reliable, affordable connection, and the market is responding to this demand. That’s why since 2017 INCOMPAS has been advocating for 1 Gigabit to be the benchmark download speed for providers.
“With so many resources flooding the marketplace to bring broadband to every corner of the country, it is critical we build fast future-proof networks to fully capitalize on these investments. A number of our competitive providers are offering multi-gigabit plans, which has spurred incumbents to upgrade their networks equating to faster, better, more affordable service for consumers.
“In order to unleash the power of this benchmark upgrade, we also need to address the many barriers to deployment that competitive providers still face. From pole attachments to competition issues in multi-tenant environments, these issues continue to be huge impediments to deployment, and we strongly urge the Commission to work expeditiously to resolve them.
“The Commission’s Notice of Inquiry addresses a number of important issues that not only impact our membership but how Americans across the country are connected. We look forward to working with the Commission on solutions to ensure all Americans have access to affordable, reliable, fast future-proof networks.”
