For those not hooked up to high speed internet access for one reason or another, Uncle Sam wants you.
Well, actually, federal regulators are trying to push the number of homes connected to 90 percent by 2020, according to recent statements by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.
“This is an ambitious goal,” Genachowski said in a recent speech. The goal will be part of the commission’s mandated national broadband plan, which is due to Congress by March 17, he said.
“The economic benefits of broadband go hand-in-hand with social benefits and the potential for vast improvements in the quality of life of all Americans,” said Genachowski. “Right now, more than 100 million Americans that could and should have broadband don’t have it. Because they can’t afford broadband, don’t know how to use it, or aren’t aware of its potential benefits.”
Currently, about 35 percent of Americans don’t use broadband at home, according to an FCC survey. In fact, Genachowski said that 100 million Americans do not have broadband and that the U.S. adoption rate lags behind Singapore and South Korea.
