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: August 2, 2011 Neil Grace, 202-418-0506 Email: neil.grace@fcc.gov FCC CHAIRMAN JULIUS GENACHOWSKI UNVEILS “MEASURING BROADBAND AMERICA” REPORT; CONTINUES CONSUMER EMPOWERMENT CAMPAIGN, HELPING AMERICANS CHOOSE THE RIGHT BROADBAND SERVICE PACKAGE AT HOME First nationwide test results of residential wireline broadband service released; FCC also unveils new consumer education resources to help Americans take the confusion and mystery out of choosing the speed they need, including a step-by-step guide Washington, DC – Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski was joined today by Consumers Union Communications Policy Counsel Parul Desai, ITIF Research Fellow Richard Bennett and Best Buy Retail Customer Solutions Manager Carlton Tucker to announce the release of new consumer empowerment tools aimed at helping Americans choose the best broadband service package for their homes. A recent FCC survey found that 80 percent of consumers did not know what speed they purchased from their Internet Service Provider (ISP). As a result, in conjunction with the release of “Measuring Broadband America,” the FCC today released new consumer resources to help Americans better understand broadband speeds, assess their home needs, choose the right package and continuously evaluate broadband performance. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, speaking at Best Buy in Washington, D.C., said: “For consumers, choosing the right broadband service can be a daunting task. Today, it gets a little bit easier. To help empower consumers and ensure a healthy broadband market, in addition to this report, the FCC is today releasing a step-by-step online guide to choosing home broadband service. The guide walks consumers through the steps they should take when choosing the service that’s best for them. We also encourage current subscribers to check their bills and ask their providers what service they have, and make sure it matches with what they need.” The FCC began focused attention on this issue in the National Broadband Plan. Since then, by continuing to shine a spotlight on actual versus advertised speeds, the FCC is ensuring accountability, increasing transparency and enhancing competition in the marketplace. If consumers make informed choices, companies will likely invest in new products, services and business models to compete more aggressively and offer greater value. For the full set of consumer tools, please visit: www.fcc.gov/measuring-broadband-america. In addition, consumers can utilize the FCC’s Broadband Speed Test, which allows them to click a button on their desktop computers or smartphones and get a general measure of how fast their wired or wireless broadband service is running. American consumers have run more than one million speed tests, which shows the demand for consumer information about broadband service quality. The speed test can be found here: www.fcc.us/bbandspeedtest Today’s efforts build on continuing work by the FCC to advance its Consumer Empowerment Agenda, which includes resources to help Americans protect themselves against cramming, mystery fees, and bill shock along with greater openness and transparency efforts to make more data easily available to the public. For the full report – “Measuring Broadband America” – or for more information about the FCC’s Consumer Empowerment Agenda, please visit: www.fcc.gov.