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FCC Spent A Decade Using Garbage Broadband Data
And now that they have good data they're still not addressing competition...
The Washington Post is offering up an interview with outgoing FCC broadband plan architect Blair Levin, who (as we noted last Friday) is leaving the FCC to head to a think tank now that the broadband plan is done. Levin, who has been criticized for a plan that fails to truly tackle competition or challenge major carriers -- tells the Post's Cecilia Kang that the plan was supposed to be a "compass" not an end goal, and infers that those who criticize the plan aren't reading it fully (we read it three times and still think it fails to challenge incumbents or truly tackle competition). But Levin also laments the quality of data the FCC was dealing with when he began the task:
quote:
The biggest surprise from the outset was the dearth of good data on broadband connections. His team, which included dozens of consultants, assumed there would be basic data on how many homes did not have a cable or DSL passing through it. That information would give the team a number for people completely disconnected to the Web – without any access to broadband. That information was unavailable so they had to pull together information from various sources to come up with their estimate of 7 million homes.
So what data was the FCC using over the last decade as they moved to make sweeping deregulatory changes in the sector (most of which helped the incumbent phone companies)? Data largely provided by carriers, designed to make everything seem incredibly rosy so that nobody would bother to address a lack of competition in the sector. Which, even apparently with better data -- the FCC still isn't addressing. Also not addressed so far? The continued use of bogus below the line fees to fatten up service prices above their advertised price. Apparently -- real data only went so far.
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

pnh102

Premium Member

Thank You!

quote:
Which, even apparently with better data -- the FCC still isn't addressing. Also not addressed so far? The continued use of bogus below the line fees to fatten up service prices above their advertised price.
Thank you for pointing this out. Forcing ISPs, cell providers, or any subscription-based data service to be truthful to their advertised price IS something the FCC can and should do, as false advertising is illegal.

As we all know, the FCC is simply too clueless to collect broadband data of any kind. We know the new tests won't show any meaningful results because ISPs will simply give higher priority to traffic going to/from testing servers. Because of this, it should give up the pipe dream of measuring broadband speed and instead focus on truth in advertising regarding prices.
phantom6294
join:2002-02-27
Abingdon, MD

1 recommendation

phantom6294

Member

Re: Thank You!

said by pnh102:

Forcing ISPs, cell providers, or any subscription-based data service to be truthful to their advertised price IS something the FCC can and should do, as false advertising is illegal.
Not to be overly picky... but I would think the FTC would be responsible for such issues.

Bill Dollar
join:2009-02-20
New York, NY

Bill Dollar

Member

Re: Thank You!

The FTC Act forbids them from acting in telecommunications services. When it comes to cellphones, this is the FCC's area.
phantom6294
join:2002-02-27
Abingdon, MD

phantom6294

Member

Re: Thank You!

said by Bill Dollar:

The FTC Act forbids them from acting in telecommunications services. When it comes to cellphones, this is the FCC's area.
I learn something new every day...

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5 to Bill Dollar

Premium Member

to Bill Dollar
said by Bill Dollar:

The FTC Act forbids them from acting in telecommunications services. When it comes to cellphones, this is the FCC's area.
Where is that in the Act?

Bill Dollar
join:2009-02-20
New York, NY

1 recommendation

Bill Dollar

Member

Re: Thank You!

Several places in the FTC Act limit the agencies authority over "common carriers subject to the Act to regulate commerce," i.e. telecommunications service providers subject to Title II of the Communications Act, which cellular companies are via Section 332.

knightmb
Everybody Lies
join:2003-12-01
Franklin, TN

1 recommendation

knightmb to pnh102

Member

to pnh102
said by pnh102:
quote:
Which, even apparently with better data -- the FCC still isn't addressing. Also not addressed so far? The continued use of bogus below the line fees to fatten up service prices above their advertised price.
Thank you for pointing this out. Forcing ISPs, cell providers, or any subscription-based data service to be truthful to their advertised price IS something the FCC can and should do, as false advertising is illegal.
I wish they would enforce it so us that run our own ISP with all the prices up front don't have to compete with stupid advertising from Comcast and like that don't include all those fees just to match or undercut our price.

It one market, we have Comcast advertising 1 mbps service for $24.95 that doesn't include all the fees, tax, blarg.

We are selling in the same market 6 mbps service at $29.99 a month (and that's everything, tax and garbage included)

Well, you get the Comcast service, it's much slower and after all the fees, ends up being over $43 a month after tax, fees (modem rental), etc.

So yeah, if all the false advertising were removed, it would certainly make to easier for customers to pick the *best* choice rather than a *perceived* best choice that ends up being garbage.
sonicmerlin
join:2009-05-24
Cleveland, OH

sonicmerlin to pnh102

Member

to pnh102
No I think the FCC should do both. Also this "lack of data" claim is just an excuse, like a "my dog ate my homework" kind of excuse.

The FCC ignored its own commissioned study by the Berkman Center that recommended line sharing. No amount of data would have changed the FCC's plan significantly.

Really what we need is anti-trust legislation to break up AT&T and Verizon, and maybe Comcast and Time Warner, as well as strict line-sharing rules.

SLD
Premium Member
join:2002-04-17
San Francisco, CA

SLD

Premium Member

A compass?!?

"the plan was supposed to be a "compass" not an end goal"
Since when does "plan" == "compass"? Don't call it a "Broadband Plan" if you aren't planning somehting...

plan-noun
1.a scheme or method of acting, doing, proceeding, making, etc., developed in advance: battle plans.
2.a design or scheme of arrangement: an elaborate plan for seating guests.

com·pass –noun
1.an instrument for determining directions, as by means of a freely rotating magnetized needle that indicates magnetic north.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK

KrK

Premium Member

Re: A compass?!?

Yeah except this compass always points at your feet.
shaneh39199
join:2010-03-30
Columbia, MO

shaneh39199

Member

this is our team

this is just what we need a team of people to kick ass and lower prices.

our asian friends get 50mbps for 35$? i get 60kbps for 40$ >>>WTF
Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL

Mr Matt

Member

The FCC should check our Lake County, Florida

The FCC should check out broadband availability in Lake County, Florida. Broadband availability in Lake County has more holes in it than a round of Imported Swiss Cheese. I visited one development that was already wired for cable but was not connected because of issues between the Developer and the Cable Company. Homes in that development cannot get DSL because a Digital Subscriber Line Access Module has not been deployed by the Telephone Company at the Subscriber Line Carrier Site serving that development.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK

KrK

Premium Member

Re: The FCC should check our Lake County, Florida

So, everything's just perfect then according to our Broadband model. Lake County Florida = all systems go!
marvin25
join:2010-01-31
Sierra Vista, AZ

marvin25

Member

Broadband Data

It is surprising that the data from rural America is missing from the equation. They don't want to admit that broadband is going in fast in rural America and the current providers were kicked out by the upstart ISP which is the biggest in the US. There is competition and they are trying to stop this ISP but the President is backing and therefore rural America is getting broadband at a reasonable price. So the problem is they can't handle competition at all. They basically leave the area and the equipment is abandon there. This includes Comcast. So the bottom line is no one took into account this new ISP that works thru the electric coops.
tdouglas22
join:2001-09-25
Memphis, TN

tdouglas22

Member

Rome wasn't built in a day...

And neither will this change that everyone wants. It's going to take time... the plan is still in the early stages and it's going to take more data as well. Anybody should know that this was NEVER going to be a quick process. There are going to be bumps in the road. We just have to make sure that we do OUR job and continue to hold the FCC's feet to the fire so that we get what we want out of this situation.
sonicmerlin
join:2009-05-24
Cleveland, OH

sonicmerlin

Member

Re: Rome wasn't built in a day...

What about the plan makes you believe something good for competition is going to come out of it in the long run?
tdouglas22
join:2001-09-25
Memphis, TN

1 edit

tdouglas22

Member

Re: Rome wasn't built in a day...

said by sonicmerlin:

What about the plan makes you believe something good for competition is going to come out of it in the long run?
The fact that they are actually putting effort into improving the state of broadband in the country. It's not something that's just being mentioned. There is effort. I also know that very few things start out being awesome. They take time. This is something that is going to take a lot longer than many of us would like. Again, Rome wasn't built in a day.