As the US continues to measure broadband access and speeds across the country, Ofcom, an independent telecom regulation authority in the UK published a link to a map of broadband speeds across their country.  How do broadband speeds rank in the United Kingdom?  According to Ofcom, 68% of homes in the UK had a fixed broadband connection average of 7.5 Mbps or more.   However, 14% of homes remain much slower at 2 Mbps or less.

What broadband speed do you need?

How does broadband availability measure up in the United States?

The speed data offered by Ofcom is important because the UK Government has set a goal to place the UK as the best place for broadband in Europe by 2015.

The map also reports on another very important component of Internet usage.  Broadband adoption rates, called  "take-up data" by Ofcom is included on the clickable maps.  Some are criticizing the amount of data which is available, and it is likely that more data will be gathered as the government moves toward higher availability and adoption rates.

An Executive Order signed by President Obama establishes the White House Rural Council to coordinate Federal programs and maximize the impact of Federal investment to promote economic prosperity and quality of life in rural communities.  Among many different initiatives to strengthen rural communities, broadband is one of the principal drivers of economic growth. According to the White House press release, the White House Rural Council will "Support the President's plan to increase broadband opportunities in rural America."

As broadband stimulus funded projects begin to break ground, this executive order will encourage public private partnerships to increase broadband availability to spur economic development in rural communities.  The council will provide recommendations for investment in rural areas, and increase coordination between government agencies.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Chair of the new council, summed up the purpose of the group this way:

"The White House Rural Council will focus on actions to better coordinate and streamline federal program efforts in rural America, and to better leverage federal investments. The collaboration will result in better programs and services in rural communities and maximize the benefits of those programs."

Seventy six House Democrats signed a letter which stopped short of full support for an AT&T/T-Mobile merger, but emphasized the benefits of the AT&T merger.  The letter mentioned President Obama's broadband goals, and the benefits  touted by AT&T as a result of the proposed merger.  These benefits include driving investment and innovation, creating jobs, and reaching rural constituents in remote areas across the United States.  Most of the House members represent constituents in states with lower broadband availability.

What does the NTIA's National Broadband Map say about broadband availability in the US?

Consumer groups and other special interest groups are taking the opposite position.  Free Press, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reforming the media, wrote a letter to the FCC arguing against the merger:

" . . . the proposed AT&T-T-Mobile merger will provide very little benefit to rural Americans
and will likely cause significant harm and disruption to those same citizens. AT&T's claims to the
contrary sound in opportunism and guile. We urge you to scrutinize these facts closely in considering
whether this merger will truly serve the interests of the American people."

Read the full letter opposing the merger here.

Public Service Commissioners in New York and California are scrutinizing the merger's impact on consumer pricing and competition, while other states are lining up behind AT&T.

With Google bringing ultra high speed broadband to both Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri how will this change the broadband provider landscape, and what will we learn about the impact of broadband?  To put the speed in  context, Google promises to install 1 gigabit (1000 Mbps) Internet speeds, which is more than 100 times faster than the average broadband connection and almost 20,000 times faster than dial-up.

Learn More About Broadband Speeds

Google's blog explains in very simple terms what the company will be doing in Kansas City, and how they expect high speed Internet to affect the city.    When policy makers speak about proposals to connect communities and build high speed broadband networks, they often cite positive economic impact, more jobs, and a higher standard of living.  The Google project in Kansas City will answer a lot of questions, and should be closely watched.

Google plans to build 1 Gigabit fiber connections throughout the entire city, and charge rates comparable to current broadband Internet fees. How many people will subscribe?  Will innovative applications thrive, and will new businesses migrate to the area?  Will employment increase?  The answers to all of these questions are important indicators of how broadband can positively impact economic development.

Google expects their efforts to have a positive impact on the community. From the Google blog about the Kansas City project:

"Our goal for this project is to allow for new innovations and cutting-edge technologies to develop and grow in Kansas City. By investing in a next generation technology infrastructure, we believe this project will help drive the region's overall economic development."

No matter what the impact is, Kansas City's mayor Sly James summed it up by saying, "I would call this a game changer, but as of today no one is playing on the same field with us."

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