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The nation has made significant progress expanding high-speed Internet access in recent years, but further implementation of major reforms newly adopted by the Federal Communications Commission is required before broadband will be available to the approximately 19 million Americans who still lack access, according to the FCC’s Eighth Broadband Progress Report.

The Report chronicles major strides taken by providers and policymakers to accelerate deployment, including:

• Billions invested by the communications industry in broadband deployment, including next-generation wired and wireless services
• Expansion of networks technically capable of 100 megabit-plus speeds to over 80 percent of the population through cable’s DOCSIS 3.0 rollout
• World-leading LTE deployment by mobile operators
• Sweeping reforms by the FCC to its universal service programs, including the new Connect America Fund for broadband deployment, Mobility Fund, and the Lifeline program for low-income Americans
• Action under the FCC’s Broadband Acceleration Initiative to reduce the cost and time required for deployment
• Numerous steps to expand availability of wireless spectrum for broadband

Notwithstanding this progress, the Report finds that approximately 19 million Americans—6 percent of the population—still lack access to fixed broadband service at threshold speeds. In rural areas, nearly one-fourth of the population —14.5 million people—lack access to this service. In tribal areas, nearly one-third of the population lacks access. Even in areas where broadband is available, approximately 100 million Americans still do not subscribe. The report concludes that until the Commission’s Connect America reforms are fully implemented, these gaps are unlikely to close. Because millions still lack access to or have not adopted broadband, the Report concludes broadband is not yet being deployed in a reasonable and timely fashion.

The Federal Communications Commission released its third annual International Broadband Data Report (IBDR or Report). The IBDR is required by the Broadband Data Improvement Act (BDIA) and provides comparative international information on broadband services. Through the presentation of this data, the FCC has the opportunity to evaluate the United States’ rates of broadband adoption, speeds, and prices in comparison to the international community. International data can serve as useful benchmarks for progress in fixed and mobile broadband accessibility.

The United States has regained its role as a global leader in and around mobile broadband. More than 80% of smartphones sold globally run on U.S. operating systems, up from less than 25% three years ago. As the first adopters of 4G LTE, the U.S. is the global test bed for wireless technology and services. In 2011, venture investment in Internet start-ups reached its highest levels since 2001. The apps economy, a $20 billion industry that barely existed five years ago, has created nearly 500,000 jobs.

The government's relative leniency in its requirements for giving a green light to the Verizon-SpectrumCo deal has sparked hopes of further wireless consolidation as carriers seek spectrum to build out next-generation 4G LTE networks.

One theory is that Sprint, which needs more capacity to compete with Verizon and AT&T, will buy MetroPCS, which has some spectrum that is contiguous with its own. Leap Wireless International could also be a Sprint takeover candidate. Like Metro, its network uses the same technology, allowing for easier customer transfer. Metro's spectrum is more valuable than Leap's because it is in major cities. But Sprint's board already spurned Metro in February, making a reversal unlikely. These deals would also come with considerable costs. Verizon is paying 69 cents per megahertz pop—an industry metric representing bandwidth per person in a coverage area—for the spectrum it is buying. But an acquirer would have to pay 83 cents and 87 cents for Metro and Leap, respectively, just to cover their net debt, according to BTIG. What may make more sense for Sprint is buying T-Mobile USA.

Bill Gates is part of a $12 million investment round in Kymeta, a company that aims to offer users satellite broadband access on the go. Kymeta is a spinout from Intellectual Ventures, the Nathan Myhrvold-run company best known for its irksome strategy of amassing patents and then looking to collect from companies whose products make use of the patents. The Redmond (WA) -based company is the second spinout for Intellectual Ventures, preceded by TerraPower, which aims to build a new kind of nuclear reactor. Other backers of Kymeta include Liberty Global and Lux Capital. Kymeta’s technology uses something called “metamaterials,” artificial materials that can manipulate electromagnetic radiation that can steer a radio signal toward a satellite, thereby creating a continuous broadband link.