Recent FCC “Broadband Deployment Report” states 95% of Americans have access to 25/3 broadband. This number is influenced by the inclusion of satellite service as broadband. THIS IS A PROBLEM. The FCC’s broadband data has other flaws but their data is one of the few sources available for broadband planning. Including satellite as a fixed broadband service is misleading.
The Daily Yonder article “The FCC’s Blurry Vision of Satellite Broadband”, explains why including broadband is a problem. From the article – “Satellite technology is highly susceptible to weather disruption; data latency is an issue; and data caps / cost are also concerning.”
The article is co-authored by: Brian Whitacre of Oklahoma State University, Roberto Gallardo of Purdue Center for Regional Development, Bill Callahan of NDIA and Connect Your Community and Angela Siefer of NDIA.