NEWS Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, D. C. 20554 This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974). News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: July 23, 2009 Mark Wigfield at (202) 418-0253 Email: mark.wigfield@fcc.gov FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION RELEASES FINAL DATA ON HIGH- SPEED SERVICES COLLECTED UNDER THE PREVIOUS FORM 477 FRAMEWORK High-Speed Connections to the Internet Increased by 10% in the First Half of 2008 Washington, D.C. – The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today released the final High-Speed Services for Internet Access report to be based on the old Form 477 data collection requirements. The FCC has collected basic service information from broadband providers on a semi- annual basis since 2000. Statistics released today reflect data as of June 30, 2008, and are the last to be based on data collected under the previous Form 477 requirements. Under the previous requirements, filers were required to identify the number of subscribers they had in each state, broken down by speed tier and technology. Filers were also required to identify all Zip Codes in which they had at least one high-speed connection (defined as any connection delivering service at speeds exceeding 200 kilobits per second (kbps) in at least one direction) in service. According to the June 2008 data, there are no Zip Codes where there is not at least one such connection. The FCC and others have recognized these requirements as insufficiently granular or precise to inform necessary policymaking. In June 2008, the FCC released a Report and Order (FCC 08-89) and Order on Reconsideration (FCC 08-148), which together implemented significant improvements to the way in which the Commission collects data on these services.1 As part of these improvements, which were effective for the March 2009 collection of data as of year-end 2008, providers of wired broadband, fixed-wireless broadband, and satellite-based broadband connections report subscriber counts at the Census Tract level rather than the state level, and all filers report their connections in accordance with an increased number of upload and download transmission speed tiers. In conjunction with measures underway pursuant to the Broadband Data Improvement Act and the Recovery Act, the new Form 477 data will provide the Commission and the public with a more valuable resource for evaluating the state of broadband in the country. 1 Development of Nationwide Broadband Data to Evaluate Reasonable and Timely Deployment of Advanced Services to All Americans, Improvement of Wireless Broadband Subscribership Data, and Development of Data on Interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol, WC Docket No. 07-38, Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 23 FCC Rcd 9691 (2008), Order on Reconsideration, 23 FCC Rcd 9800 (2008). The findings of the attached report are summarized as follows: 1) High-Speed Lines · High-speed lines, defined as connections delivering services at speeds exceeding 200 kbps in at least one direction, increased by 10% during the first half of 2008, from 121.2 million to 132.8 million lines in service, following a 20% increase, from 101.0 million to 121.2 million lines, during the second half of 2007. For the full twelve- month period ending June 30, 2008, high-speed lines increased by 32% from 101.0 million to 132.8 million (or 31.8 million lines) compared to a 55% increase, from 65.0 million to 101.0 million lines (or 36.0 million lines), in the twelve-month period ending June 30, 2007. · Of the 132.8 million total high-speed lines reported as of June 30, 2008, 79.1 million served primarily residential end users. Cable modem service represented 46.7% of these lines while 34.1% were asymmetric DSL (ADSL) connections, 0.1% were symmetric DSL (SDSL) or traditional wireline connections, 2.7% were fiber connections to the end user premises, and 16.4% used other types of technology including satellite, terrestrial fixed or mobile wireless (on a licensed or unlicensed basis), and electric power line. · High-speed ADSL increased by 0.5 million lines during the first half of 2008, fiber connections increased by 0.5 million lines, and cable modem service increased by 1.7 million lines. For the full twelve-month period ending June 30, 2008, ADSL increased by 2.2 million lines, fiber connections increased by 1.1 million lines, and cable modem service increased by 3.8 million lines. 2) Advanced Services Lines · Advanced services lines, defined as connections delivering services at speeds exceeding 200 kbps in both directions, increased by 10% during the first half of 2008, from 80.3 million to 88.4 million lines, compared to a 15% increase, from 69.6 million to 80.3 million lines, during the second half of 2007. For the full twelve- month period ending June 30, 2008, advanced services lines increased 27% from 69.6 million to 88.4 million (or 18.8 million lines). · Of the 88.4 million advanced services lines reported as of June 30, 2008, 55.5% were at least 2.5 mbps in the faster direction and 44.5% were slower than 2.5 mbps in the faster direction. · Of the 88.4 million advanced services lines, 74.5 million served primarily residential end users. Cable modem service represented 49.2% of these lines while 31.3% were ADSL connections, 0.2% were SDSL or traditional wireline connections, 2.9% were fiber connections to the end user premises, and 16.5% used other types of technology including satellite, terrestrial fixed or mobile wireless (on a licensed or unlicensed basis), and electric power line. 3) Geographic Coverage · As a nationwide average, we estimate that high-speed DSL connections were available to 83% of the households to whom incumbent LECs could provide local telephone service as of June 30, 2008, and that high-speed cable modem service was available to 96% of the households to whom cable system operators could provide cable TV service. · Providers other than providers of terrestrial mobile wireless services listed the Zip Codes in which they had at least one high-speed connection in service to an end user, while terrestrial mobile wireless service providers listed the Zip Codes that best represented their service territories. Combining these data, 100% of 5-digit geographical Zip Codes were represented in the lists filed for June 2008. The most widely reported technologies by this measure were high-speed mobile wireless (with at least some presence reported in 99% of Zip Codes), satellite (in 93% of Zip Codes), ADSL (in 87% of Zip Codes), and cable modem service (in 67% of Zip Codes). ADSL and/or cable modem connections were reported to be present in 91% of Zip Codes. The summary statistics released today also include state-by-state information, and population density and household income information ranked by Zip Codes. As information becomes available from the Form 477 filings made in March 2009 pursuant to the improvements the Commission implemented in 2008, it will be posted on the Commission’s Internet site. The report is available for reference in the FCC’s Reference Information Center, Courtyard Level, 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC. Copies may be purchased by calling Best Copy and Printing, Inc. at (800) 378-3160. The report can also be downloaded from the Wireline Competition Bureau Statistical Reports Internet site at www.fcc.gov/wcb/stats. - FCC - Wireline Competition Bureau contacts: James Eisner and Suzanne Mendez at (202) 418-0940, TTY (202) 418-0484.