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FCC launches inquiry to increase minimum broadband speed [pdf]

docs.fcc.gov

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Re: FCC launches inquiry to increase minimum broadband speed [pdf]

#151
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Data packets aren't a limited resource. The costs for your ISP are fixed whether they serve you 1MB or 1TB. Data caps and overage charges are purely a money grab, not some fundamental economic requirement. So no, infrequent users aren't "subsidizing" anyone else.

>> Data packets aren't a limited resource. No, but bandwidth is. Particularly wireless where you can't just lay down another cable or fiber.

> No, but bandwidth is

Which is why they already charge for bandwidth

Re: FCC launches inquiry to increase minimum broadband speed [pdf]

#152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I imagine the 20 Mbps upload target is useless for most of us, even those on asymmetric cable I wish this were true. I'm in Seattle and Xfinity will only sell me 5 Mbps up, even at 480 down, unless I pay out the ass for a symmetric gigabit connection I don't need. Very much looking forward to the FCC forcing at least 20.

Where do you live? It's possible to get gigabit service from a handful of different non Comcast ISPs in most of the city.

Comments said they don't want to pay more for gigabit (that they don't need) just to get reasonable upload speed.

Re: FCC launches inquiry to increase minimum broadband speed [pdf]

#153
post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have 1gb connection and I agree that 99% of the time this isn't utilized, but it's very helpful when you want to download anything, from new steam game, through system updated to for me work related usage. this isn't that much about you can download per month, but how fast you can do it when you need something

Honestly everytime I've tried downloading a large file the bottleneck is on the serving end, where they aren't able to send that much data that fast.

You can use something called lftp to transfer single files using multiple connections at once, I'm sure there's similar switches for wget or curl

Re: FCC launches inquiry to increase minimum broadband speed [pdf]

#154
post #37

It's 100 Mbps down / 20 Mbps up as the proposal, and 1000 Mbps / 500 Mbps as an eventual goal. I imagine the 20 Mbps upload target is useless for most of us, even those on asymmetric cable, but there's a good chance that if the ISPs were forced to provide 20 Mbps up at their lowest broadband tiers, it would raise the ladder quite a bit. For example, on Comcast I get 800 / 20, but there's also a 400 / 10 tier (and may…

Starlink will not qualify - even in area with no congestion where you have to problem maintaining >200Mbps down your upload speed averages around 15Mbps

Re: FCC launches inquiry to increase minimum broadband speed [pdf]

#155

More effective would be to require all connections to be opened to any other provider (for a fee of course also defined by the FCC). Additionally there should be a over subscriber limit defined based on used capacity based on something like a 95th percentile calculation. It doesn't help if you have a gigabit internet connection when it's unusable because of the lack of backend capacity. Although if you had an open in…

It actually used to work like something like that in the early 2000's (?), and then the rules were changed to give the power back to the big telcos again.

Re: FCC launches inquiry to increase minimum broadband speed [pdf]

#156
post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have 1gb connection and I agree that 99% of the time this isn't utilized, but it's very helpful when you want to download anything, from new steam game, through system updated to for me work related usage. this isn't that much about you can download per month, but how fast you can do it when you need something

Honestly everytime I've tried downloading a large file the bottleneck is on the serving end, where they aren't able to send that much data that fast.

If there's a torrent available you can get better speed. Helpful for Linux installation ISOs

Re: FCC launches inquiry to increase minimum broadband speed [pdf]

#157

Does everyone really need that much bandwidth though? Usally 20mbps is enough for most things. 50 is plenty and after that it’s mostly bragging rights.

25 Mbps is enough for one person so 100 Mbps is reasonable for a household.

Re: FCC launches inquiry to increase minimum broadband speed [pdf]

#158
post #96

FCC should fix the collusion that happens under the table between ISPs. ISPs tend to avoid entering an area where there is already established service. So for a majority of people, the ISPs have a de facto monopoly. No need to improve service or customer support. Also need to overturn legislation at state level which forbids municipal ISPs from being created. This would help break the mini monopolies that ISPs. Defin…

There is a ISP which provides fibre internet with great upload speed and low price a few miles away. I once called their signup phone number and asked if they could extend their service to my place. They said no because they had an agreement with Comcast not to encroach on each other territories.

Re: FCC launches inquiry to increase minimum broadband speed [pdf]

#160

1000 Mbps down / 100 Mbps up should be the minimum for any first world country. Without mandated illegality of data caps and other Comcast data and modem games this does nothing to change the reality of boots on the ground unfortunately. These speeds only really allow you to close your data cap sooner in the month for the vast majority of customers who use Internet for modern things. A fixed data cap locks in an “era…

Many (most?) people do not even have devices that could utilize 1Gbit/s. My (relatively new) Galaxy Tab S7+ (11ac wifi) has a hard time going over 500Mbit/s (not sure if it's wifi or the slow internal memory, can't be arsed to find out), and it's similar with my (not that old) LG Velvet phone... All of that on a connection that can do a rock solid 1Gbps on my PC through UTP (cat 6)...

What I'm trying to say is that many of these devices regular people have don't even have the capability to receive 1Gbit/s streams. It's great for us nerds or people who (also) work from home and need blazing fast connections to work servers etc, but as of 2023, it's overkill for many regular people.

Datacaps should be illegal though.

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