FCC Releases 2nd International Broadband Report

The Federal Communications Commission International Bureau released its second International Broadband Data Report presenting comparative data international broadband capability. The report presents, for the first time, econometric analyses of how population size, population density, income, and education affect broadband adoption at a sub-national or “community” level.

The report provides staff-gathered data on broadband service plans and pricing in 38 countries (including the United States), representing a broad range of broadband markets, including countries of various sizes and population densities. The dataset includes information on bundle pricing and advertised monthly recurring charges and nonrecurring charges such as connection and modem fees. The Bureau is making this dataset openly available so that interested parties can perform further research and analysis.

The report finds:

• Broadband adoption linked to population size, density and income: The results suggest a correlation between broadband adoption and (1) communities with larger populations, (2) communities with higher population density, and (3) communities with higher income. The analysis, however, does not detect a statistically significant relationship between education and broadband adoption.
• Download Speeds in Some European and Asian Cities Have Edge Over Comparable U.S. Cities: The data on average actual download speeds reported by consumers in U.S. and foreign cities show that some large European and Asian cities exhibit a significant edge over comparable U.S. cities in reported download speeds. Reported speeds for some other international cities, however, are roughly comparable to speeds in many U.S. cities.