Students asked for it, and Comcast stepped up; the company is raising the speed of its low-cost internet essentials plan from 25/3 (that’s 25Mbps down and 3Mbps up) to 50/5. A couple of weeks ago, I came down hard on outgoing FCC chair Ajit Pai’s report that used 25/3 (a six-year-old benchmark) as his measure of success. Student activists have been pushing to close the digital divide since the pandemic began, and I’m pleased to report that Comcast will roll out 50/5 nationwide to its internet essentials customers starting March 1. Kudos to Comcast for listening and acting!
Is 50/5 good enough? I think it’s a good start. We have to get past the politics on this issue. We need competitively priced, real, high-speed broadband (300Mbps, 500Mbps, a Gig would be better) for every American, no matter where they live or where they work. High speed equals high productivity. It’s really that simple.
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with AI strategy, implementation and governance, as well as technology, media and marketing. Named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Technology, he is a bestselling author, covers tech and business for Fox 5’s Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN, and writes the popular daily business blog Think About This. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.