President Barack Obama has called for broadband Internet expansion well beyond the goals previously set by the FCC’s National Broadband Plan. The president has bumped the broadband availability target up to 98 percent of all Americans. Moving toward the higher number is touted as a way to help boost the economic recovery through increased infrastructure spending.
The National Broadband Plan outlined specific goals regarding the expansion and speed increases. The initiative calls for 90 percent of Americans to have access to broadband by 2020, with 100 million homes connected to “affordable” 100Mbps service.
The Obama Administration has yet to set a time-frame for reaching its larger goal. The Internet plans were included in a set of infrastructure recommendations that also included repairs and improvements to roads and bridges, along with a high-speed rail network to eventually reach the majority of cities.
