On Friday, February 2, 2018, the Federal Communications Commission released the 2018 Broadband Deployment Report. The following statement may be attributed to Benton Foundation Executive Director Adrianne B. Furniss:
Obviously neither FCC Chairman Ajit Pai nor fellow Republican Commissioners Michael O’Rielly and Brendon Carr reside in areas where it is impossible to receive broadband internet access service. If they did, there would be no way they'd vote in favor of adoption of a report that finds broadband is being deployed in a reasonable and timely fashion. These commissioners remain out of touch with the people on the wrong side of the digital divide. Instead of concentrating on the economic, health, educational, and civic impacts on the nearly 40 percent of rural communities still unserved, these commissioners once again congratulate themselves for repealing net neutrality. Instead of real world solutions, these lawyers offer a parsing of “is being deployed to all Americans” vs “is deployed to all Americans.” Benton is confident that the people who live in these unserved areas will not appreciate the distinction – and the fact that the broadband service they can’t receive can be blocked, throttled, or prioritized by their non-existent ISP.
Mission accomplished. Again.
Benton, a non-profit, operating foundation, believes that communications policy—rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity—has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities to bridge our divides.