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Broadband isn't Broadband Unless its 2Mbps?

quanticle writes "According to House Democrats, broadband isn't broadband unless its at least 2Mbps. The view of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications is that the FCC's data collection standards are hopelessly outdated, and is proposing a number of updates to their criteria. For one, they want 'broadband' reclassified to at least 2mbs, up from 200kbps. Another requirement will change the FCC's outlook on broadband availability. Just because one household in a zip code has broadband access, that will not longer mean everyone in the zip code does. 'The plan went over well with the consumer advocates who appeared before the subcommittee. Larry Cohen, president of the Communication Workers of America, said that the US is "stuck with a twentieth century Internet" and that he would support increasing the "broadband" definition to 2Mbps. Ben Scott of Free Press echoed that sentiment, suggesting that the definition needs to be an evolving standard that increases over time, which is in contrast to the current FCC definition; it has not changed in nine years. "We have always been limited by the FCC's inadequate and flawed data," he said.'"

18 of 351 comments (clear)

  1. hooray by yakumo.unr · · Score: 5, Funny

    Fat tubes for all!

  2. T-1 by Gates82 · · Score: 3, Funny
    Great now my boss will want to pay even more for an internet connection at work. Our T-1 wont be broadband anymore. And before the T-1 = slow debate starts, I've suggested alternative implementations.

    --
    So who is hotter? Ali or Ali's Sister?

  3. rename it by Bobtree · · Score: 2, Funny

    They're widely misusing the term "broadband" already (just like "modem" and many others), so why not simply define the class of service they want to standardize and give it a NEW NAME instead of abusing existing ones? My vote is for "Standardized Fast Ubernet." You can guess what else the acronym might stand for.

  4. Whoa! by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I thought 56K was broadband when I upgraded from my 14.4K modem. Of course, that was back in 1998.

  5. Re:Good by Duke · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yeah. But the poster mentions 2mbps. 2 milli bps. Now that is slow. Five hundred seconds to get one bit. SI prefixes are case sensitive. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SI_prefix

  6. Re:So I don't have broadband? by drinkypoo · · Score: 5, Funny

    My wife and I share a 1.5Mbps DSL connection with 256k up. I've never had to wish it were faster.

    You and your wife are boring. I can saturate both directions on the T1 at work without any help.

    If you want to tell us to get off your lawn, just put up a sign.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  7. Re:Korea has 10MBPs to the home... by eln · · Score: 4, Funny

    10 MB/s seems like overkill just to allow old people to send email.

  8. Re:Forgive me by British · · Score: 4, Funny

    Most American politics is pretty cut and dry. That stuff rarely gets talked about by the media.

    I'm just surprised that politicians are talking about the Internet not involving the legislation bingo buzzwords ["predator" || "myspace" || "molestor" || "terrorism" || "censorship" || "children" || "tubes" || "columbine" ]

    It's kind of like reading a Family Circus comic and having Billy talk about some sort of technology made after 1952. It just surprises you.

  9. Re:Huh? by T-Ranger · · Score: 3, Funny

    As much as I loath the US Congress, and celebrate Wikipedia, I haven't quite gotten to the point where I think that the the later should be able to overrule the former.

  10. Re:So I don't have broadband? by RingDev · · Score: 4, Funny

    You and your wife are boring. I can saturate both directions on the T1 at work without any help.

    Your boss lets you look at porn at work?

    -Rick

    --
    "Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
  11. The drama of SCSI? by RingDev · · Score: 4, Funny

    What kind of SCSI do you have?

    SCSI-1
    Fast SCSI
    Fast Wide SCSI
    Ultra SCSI(1.5)
    Ultra SCSI(3)
    Wide Ultra SCSI
    Wide Ultra SCSI(1.5)
    Wide Ultra SCSI(3)
    Ultra2 SCSI
    Wide Ultra2 SCSI
    Ultra3 SCSI or Ultra160 SCSI
    Ultra320 SCSI

    Nah. Just make the term "Broad Band" a standard that is reviewed every 2 years and be done with it. Otherwise, in 20 years we'll be connecting over the Super double wide ultra fast inter tubes of doom .

    -Rick

    --
    "Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
    1. Re:The drama of SCSI? by tooslickvan · · Score: 2, Funny

      Nah. Just make the term "Broad Band" a standard that is reviewed every 2 years and be done with it. Otherwise, in 20 years we'll be connecting over the Super double wide ultra fast inter tubes of doom .


      Championship Edition.
  12. ObSlashdot Meme by sconeu · · Score: 2, Funny

    So they're old Korean people?

    --
    General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
  13. Re:2mbps by f1055man · · Score: 3, Funny

    I hate you.

  14. What about latency? by raehl · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can do 1 Gbit/sec with my station wagon, but the latency kinda sucks.

    Also, the MTU (MINIMUM transfer unit) is 4 GB.

    Well, 780 MB if you only want to use CDs.

  15. Jargon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I think they should only use the terms High-Speed and Full-Speed. It make so much sense for USB.

  16. Mod parent up by MS-06FZ · · Score: 4, Funny

    The parent post is a helpful visual diagram of how a high-capacity channel enables more traffic.

    --
    ---GEC
    I'm but the humble pupil, seeking to snatch the scratchbuilt pebble from the master's fully articulated hand
  17. Re:I thought Broadband Was... by Daychilde · · Score: 2, Funny

    Irregardful of the rise in #3's popularity, I refuse to accept it as a word. Not yet, dammit. heh.

    --
    A cheerful little bird is sitting here singing.