President signs broadband data collection bill

President Bush on Friday signed into law a bill that would facilitate the collection of data regarding broadband access in the United States, though most of the actions required by the law have already been accomplished by federal regulators.

The Broadband Data Act directs the Federal Communications Commission to redefine broadband, which was largely achieved earlier this year. The commission in March voted to consider 768Kbps, which is the entry-level speed offered by major DSL providers like Verizon, the low end of "basic broadband," a range that extends to under 1.5Mbps. For years, the commission had considered 200Kbps service to be "high speed."

The new law, introduced by Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, in 2007, requires Internet service providers to give the FCC more detailed reports so the FCC can identify the actual numbers of broadband connections by customer type and geographic area. The FCC adopted this measure in March as well, though the act requires the commission to use the reports to collect demographic data for geographical areas without advanced telecommunications capabilities.

A few studies are required by the new law, such as an evaluation by the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy on the impact of broadband speed and price on small businesses. The bill also establishes a grant program for organizations to track and promote Internet usage.

A provision was also added to the bill by Congress to promote Internet safety for children. The law requires the Federal Trade Commission to establish a nationwide campaign "to increase public awareness and provide education regarding strategies to promote the safe use of the Internet by children."

[Solaris_User]

"to increase public awareness and provide education regarding strategies to promote the safe use of the Internet by children."

Every time I hear things like this come up, I think of Doug Stanhope's Myspace pedophiles comedy act.

Warning Doug is a sick sick man: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8APlx9btTn8

I agree with Doug, there are no more pedophiles now than there has ever been and its best to keep them on the internet and out of playgrounds.

[Dalkorian]

I should have known Lerianis would show up to stand up for the rights of child raping pedophiles.

[darkfireMN]

I think 1.5Mbps is still too low. What the typical upstream on a 1.5Mbps DSL connection? Also, with as many people getting rid of their land lines as there are - why doesnt someone come out with a type of DSL that uses the entire spectrum (or whatever) availible for data since the person won't be using it for analog phone calls anymore. And then, they could offer VOIP over the new fully digital line just like Comcast does on their broadband connections. Of course it would require another upgrade of the telcos systems, but my experiance of DSL has always been bad.. I hate comcast, but you do get decent speed.. Course, I do live in a test market (The Twin Cities). I wouldn't mind trying out Verizon's FiOS. anyway.. I'm rambling.

[kieranmullen]

1.5 Is not slow at all. Have you ever used a T1? It is about the quality of the network, latency, response, number of hops to access, how many users on your local node etc.

That being said I have a 20 MB Download and 5 Mb upload through fios and it is great! Might upgrade to 20/20 for a few bucks more in 6 months

KieranMullen
http://360oregon.com

[Scopip]

Well 1.5 is definitely not fast enough if you want to watch streaming Hi-def on a 720p.

[JLamar]

While our government is passing off these bills as bylines and usually over the weekend, we resort to discussion of what speed should define what broadband is. When the masses wake up and understand that everything going on is connected to a greater plan, we will be able to confront it. Our liberties are eroding away every week. Our govt is taking over the airwaves, the internet, the banking system, the mortgages, our childrens futures...all under the guise of protecting our children, protecting homeowners, protecting us from terrorism. As I read through my childs 7th grade history book I realize that what has been going on for a hundred + years is still going on. 1) Govt defines a need to met. 2)Fear is created to "unite" the people with false patriotism. 3)Govt takes away liberties. It keeps happening, at a very rapid rate. We are experiencing the intentional and slow implosion of the dollar. The NAFTA superhighway is being built right now through TX. (Check Lou Dobbs/Youtube). This seemingly innocent and well meaning story of a bill passing is but one more piece of the puzzle. A puzzle we are left to put together as we are the clay and the govt is the potter, or so they assume. Ben Franklin said, "Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." Our lives are about to change dramatically within the coming months. The Patriot Act. Remember the Patriot Act. Read it. Read it with a different eye. One that instead of offering you protection, takes away liberties. You should care. Our founding Fathers cared. Look into these things. Wake up!