Cable group opposes FCC change to Internet speed standards

The Federal Communications Commission’s proposal to change its definition of what qualifies as a minimum broadband Internet speed is facing opposition from the cable industry. 

The National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA) said last week that the proposed change is “entirely out of step” with what the public thinks of as an adequate Internet speed. 

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has proposed boosting the minimum threshold for Internet download speeds by a factor of six — from its current 4 megabits per second (Mbps) to 25 Mbps. For upload speeds, Wheeler wants an increase from 1 Mbps to 3 Mbps. The proposed change is included in the commission’s progress report on broadband deployment, set to be considered at its Thursday meeting. 

The NCTA said the only stakeholders who have called for that speed benchmark are Netflix and the consumer group Public Knowledge. And both failed to prove why the commission should raise its benchmark, the group said. 

Netflix recommends 3 Mbps for standard definition video streaming and 25 Mbps for Ultra HD, a new but rare feature. Public Knowledge has argued that the increased speeds are necessary because multiple people tend to share a single Internet connection, requiring a faster overall speed. 

“In reality, these hypotheticals dramatically exaggerate the amount of bandwidth needed by the typical broadband user,” the group wrote. 

The trade group said if the FCC does adopt the change, it should make sure to clarify that the update in the progress report has no real regulatory significance — “as it has in prior Broadband Progress Reports.”

The group, for example, does not want that definition to be applied when deciding which service providers should be subject to net neutrality rules. It also said the redefinition should not apply when passing out funds through the Connect America Fund, a program that provides federal funds to service providers to expand Internet in rural areas. 

NCTA also pointed to confusion the new standard could cause. Just last month the FCC voted to increase the minimum speed service providers must supply in order to qualify for the Connect America Fund. That level was boosted to 10 Mbps, well under the 25 Mbps considered this week.