While the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is busy beating on cable, the U.S. Congress is flogging the Commission for its broadband service availability data collection methodology. On Nov. 13 the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3919, the "Broadband Census of America Act of 2007."

"Today's Broadband Census of America Act reflects the growing consensus -- if not unanimity --around the fact that current data collection methods used by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are inadequate and highly flawed," noted Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), one of the bill's sponsors.

To the point, the FCC's method for measuring broadband deployment used a low-bar metric: a U.S. ZIP code was considered served by broadband if one customer had a connection of at least 200 kbit/s. Sounds like a strategy crafted by the Ministry of Silly Surveys.

If signed into law, the new Broadband Census act would require the FCC to:

Perhaps with better research data in hand, the FCC might craft better broadband policies.

— Michael Harris, Chief Analyst, Cable Digital News

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