New survey finds gaps in U.S. broadband

Sixty-five million Americans depend on broadband services for work, education, entertainment, and communications. But too many other Americans have no access to broadband services, according to a new telecom industry survey of readers of leading U.S. telecom publications, commissioned by Tellabs. Respondents strongly support expanding broadband availability in the United States, especially in under-served rural areas. The lack of broadband availability, whether due to geographic or economic reasons, hurts productivity. 89% of respondents think lack of broadband access hurts an individual's educational, productivity, and employment potential. 81% think America should use some of the current Universal Service Fund to expand rural broadband. 79% think where you live should not dictate broadband availability. 77% think economic status should not determine broadband availability. Industry professionals called for a new definition of broadband. An overwhelming 94% of respondents said that the current FCC definition of broadband does not deliver a true broadband experience. In fact, 84% of respondents feel that a better definition of broadband is a service that can deliver high-quality streaming video.
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