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back to article Sigh. Big Cable execs dominate FCC panel overseeing Big Cable's broadband upgrades

In just the latest example of how far America's telecoms regulator is in the pockets of the cable giants, its panel scrutinizing US broadband rollouts has been heavily stacked with industry executives. The Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC) was announced by FCC chairman Ajit Pai in January, and formally launched [ …

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  1. Daedalus

    Good joke

    How do you think cable companies got where they are in cities and towns? By buying their way into the good graces of local officials. Cable franchising has been local from the start, so naturally the local officials could expect some grease. The Feds got involved out of their usual half-assed concern over "fairness" back when cable mostly carried TV. Before that there was no FCC involvement. Chances are the city officials wanted on the commission to stay on the gravy train.

    1 3 Reply
  2. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Don't worry....

    The preponderance of cable reps means that the US will soon be the first country in the world to roll out 10Gbps FTTTV (Fibre To The TV). This will plug directly into the back of the TV, avoiding the need for a pesky router or wifi unit that the consumer might gain control over.

    Weirdos wishing to actually access the Internet, rather than watch telly ads continuously, will be permitted to rent a special cableco-branded TV that includes a wifi access point offering 802.11b or 802.11g (at extra cost).

    7 0 Reply
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Don't worry....

      Maybe not. It looks Pai is also working hard to make broadcasting stations concentrations easier. It doesn't work well with too much broadband available.

      0 0 Reply
  3. eldakka

    Article:

    the FCC announced a plan to redefine what "fast internet" actually means,

    I don't have an objection to including 3/4/xG, as long as certain conditions are met (actual numbers used for speed, latency, quota and so on are for illustration only, they may be wildly unrealistic in either too low or high direction):

    • bandwidth - is the end-user speed at peak time, not the supply point source capability, e.g. the ISP can't claim an ADSL2+ is a 24Mbps connection if the end user is only syncing at 7Mbps, nor can the ISP claim a 50Mbps connection is 50Mbps if at peak times ISP network congestion reduces the peak-time speed to 15Mbps.

    • latency -the service must meet a maximum peak-time average latency, and a maximum 24h average latency figures, e.g. the busiest 4 hours of the day must not exceed average latency for that period of 25ms through the ISP's infrastructure (it can't, obviously, control any latency induced between the destination hosts and the edge of its network), with the entire 24h period not exceeding an average of 20ms, with no more than 1% of packets exceeding 50ms.

    • conditions - the connection is capable of unrestricted tethered usage, that is, if it's a phone/tablet it can be used as a WiFi hotspot, or the SIM can be put into a 3/4G router and used for all devices in the network, etc.

    • data allowance - there is a defined minimum quota limit, e.g. 500GBytes/month, or even unlimited is required.

    • availaility -minimum reliability of such a service, including taking into account weather conditions, such that in the area service is provided to it must meet the above criteria 99% of the time, e.g. if it's supplied by wireless, and performance degrades below the minimum criteria during bad weather, but bad weather is common in that area, then it might fail the set % reliability criteria.

    • price -a maximum price is specified that all above minimum criteria must be available for, unbundled from any other service. e.g. $50/month for peak-time end-user 25Mbps premises supplied with 500GB quota.

    So as long as it meats all the criteria, there shouldn't be an issue including, for example, wireless services.

    3 0 Reply
    1. Pangasinan Philippines
      Reply Icon

      So as long as it meats all the criteria, there shouldn't be an issue including, for example, wireless services.

      Would you 'steak' your reputation on that statement.

      I hope 'stew' see the joke.

      1 0 Reply

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