As a former tech worker who worked on a broadband deployment in the United States, I have seen firsthand the dangers of broadband censorship.
As a member of the FCC’s Broadband Advisory Committee, I was an advocate for strong net neutrality rules that protect consumers and innovation from the threat of “fast lanes.”
When I became a telecom engineer, the FCC was asked to address the issue of Internet censorship.
That’s when I realized the FCC could do more than regulate the ISPs.
Since that time, I’ve been working as a consultant for ISPs on broadband issues, including addressing the issue on a wide variety of topics, including the FCC Broadband Review, which was released in April 2018.
But when the FCC asked me to review the Broadband Performance Improvement and Customer Experience Review, a document detailing broadband performance, I knew I had to do something about the FCC.
This review was part of a wider review, which included several recommendations to improve broadband service for consumers.
The recommendations included the creation of a national broadband broadband performance benchmark, an FCC-mandated public-private partnership to create a national network benchmark, and a national benchmark for broadband deployment.
So, I started researching the issues the FCC had identified.
I realized that we could do better than just having the FCC and the private sector work together to improve the delivery of broadband service.
After looking at the recommendations, I made a decision.
The FCC’s report should be rewritten to make it more comprehensive.
It’s time for the FCC to start listening to the broadband community and create a broadband performance baseline.
I’m a member for the Communications Workers of America, which represents thousands of Internet workers across the country.
And, I believe that the broadband industry has a strong case for inclusion in the report.
For many of my colleagues who have been working on broadband and telecommunications issues, it is clear that the Commission is not listening to their needs.
To be clear, the Broadfield review is a recommendation.
What’s next?
The Broadfield report is now available for public review, and I’m asking my colleagues to share their feedback on the report and its recommendations.
If you or a colleague have any suggestions or feedback about the report, please send an email to [email protected].
I look forward to hearing from you.
If you’re interested in working on an issue, you can reach me at [emailprotected].
