Broadband is now defined as 25MBPs and no longer 4MBPs

[Puremallace]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/102355635?trk...tack:topnews:4

http://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-find...t-keeping-pace

So just saw this. This is very interesting because by this definition the service I have in Louisiana is no longer considered broadband.

The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday voted to change the definition of broadband to connection speeds of 25 megabits per second or higher, casting aside the previous standard of 4 megabits per second.

If speeds don't reach the threshold, Internet providers cannot call the connection "broadband." Under the new standard, about one-fifth of Americans would lack access to "high-speed" Internet.

FCC commissioners passed the measure in a 3-2 vote.

Edit: Fixed MBPS to Mbps

Edit 2: Official FCC link added

[Blueobelisk]

I don't know if I should feel better than now ISP's are more responsible for giving better internet service (to label their product with the good title) or if I should be mad and jealous of other people that I don't have broadband.

[PIsForPhuck]

I don't think that's even an option anywhere in some rural states.

[Kalis]

So just saw this. This is very interesting because by this definition the service I have in Louisiana is no longer considered broadband.

If your contract stipulates that you pay for a 'broadband' service, you may be able to argue the toss and get an upgrade or a discount.

[Chickat]

Does that mean everyone is going to be upgraded for free?

[Tradewind]

Does that mean everyone is going to be upgraded for free?

No they'll just call it something else other than "broadband."

[Alvito]

Please just open the floodgates of competition.

This is a much larger issue than what we do or don't call things.

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Does that mean everyone is going to be upgraded for free?

Why in the world would it mean that?

[Deleted]

I do hate to nitpick, but Megabits are Mb, Megabytes are MB, and the sooner everyone realises that the better.

[Vizardlorde]

Does that mean everyone is going to be upgraded for free?

Everyone is more likely to receive a disclaimer letter from their ISP blaming the FCC for no loneger being able to deliver "broadband". and still charge the same rate for the current speed than they will receive a free upgrade.

[AndaliteBandit]

I don't think that's even an option anywhere in some rural states.

In some rural states, even 4MBPs isn't an option, and the coverage is wildly inconsistent. I have Comcast Blast, but I can drive 10 minutes to a friend's house where she can only get dial-up, doesn't even live on a backroad.

[Kujako]

I'd rather have a packets per second definition, or perhaps something referencing latency.

[Tradewind]

I do hate to nitpick, but Megabits are Mb, Megabytes are MB, and the sooner everyone realises that the better.

"but my connection says I get 25Mbps and I only get 2.5MB/s...you're fucking with my internets!"

never work support for an ISP...ever ever ever

[Greevir]

I do hate to nitpick, but Megabits are Mb, Megabytes are MB, and the sooner everyone realises that the better.

Haha, yes. I have to remind my family members of this all the time.

For me I don't see this changing anything. I have shit internet and will always have shit internet as long as I live here. Fucking AT@T...

[Kujako]

"but my connection says I get 25Mbps and I only get 2.5MB/s...you're fucking with my internets!"

never work support for an ISP...ever ever ever

Should be around 3.125MB/s.... they're stealing two bits from your bytes!

[Greevir]

"but my connection says I get 25Mbps and I only get 2.5MB/s...you're fucking with my internets!"

never work support for an ISP...ever ever ever

Been there, done that. Worked for both AT@T and Verizon. We were told not to correct the consumer though... /qq

[Tradewind]

Should be around 3.125MB/s.... they're stealing two bits from your bytes!

omg fix the cisco routers

[Fexus]

"but my connection says I get 25Mbps and I only get 2.5MB/s...you're fucking with my internets!"

never work support for an ISP...ever ever ever

Well it's kind of their fault. They're using a metric that no one ordinarily uses when it comes to file sizes I assume in order to make their download speeds appear faster than they actually are.

[Vizardlorde]

Isn't the sole reason of using different units for filesize and US/DS to trick ignorant people into paying for a service worse than what they are led to believe (same for storage drive space 1000/1024 thing)?

[Bakis]

4mbps is about enough to stream some shitty Netflix 720p. 25 sounds alot why not it bring it up to the natural 100mbit if so.
And as others have pointed out, more effort should be set aside to actually look at the jungle of marketing and regulate if they can actually use Broadband when they are speaking of theoretical speeds that consumers rarely see an glimpse of in cities/countries with a poor fiber infrastructure.

[Deleted]

Sorry, but I don't speak wizard.

To put it basically, a byte is 8 bits.

When your looking at files on your computer, or downloads on the internet, the size is shown in MegaBytes. But someone at an ISP once had the brilliant idea that they can market Megabits, because the only difference in how they abbreviate is one has a big B, and one has a little b, and the average joe doesn't know the difference.

What this means is that while it says up there that the connection will be 25 Megabits, what this actually means is somewhere around 3 Megabytes a second, still pretty quick, but nowhere near as quick as people think it should be.