Multiple Measures Are Available for Consumers, Industry, Government, and Others to Assess Broadband Performance

		Consumers Can Generally Access Measures of Availability, Price, Advertised Speed, and Actual Delivered Speed from Broadband Providers and Third Parties

Although there are limitations that we discuss later, consumers interested  in broadband service can generally contact providers or search provider  Web sites to determine the availability of service, advertised price, and  advertised speed of broadband service in their area. According to the study, to establish broadband leadership, countries must  focus on broadband availability, penetration, and quality. Broadband Subscribers per 100 Inhabitants. Eight of the 10 performance measures listed above are “composite  indexes,” i.e., combinations of measures that are generally used to try to  account for and normalize a variety of factors such as demographic,  economic, and geographic differences among countries, which according  to many of the stakeholders we spoke with can affect broadband  deployment and penetration. For example, officials from the Consumer Federation of  America and Pew Internet & American Life Project told us the lack of a  comprehensive and consistent measure from the government for  consumers to compare prices from providers was a limitation. FCC has open  proceedings on requiring providers to report actual delivered speeds on  the broadband reporting form, but it currently does not collect this  information. Thus, while stakeholders  identified multiple alternatives, they differed on the need for FCC to  develop additional reporting requirements to measure price, average  actual delivered speed, and service reliability as follows:    Consumer advocacy groups and academicians and representatives from  think tanks generally believed there was a need for improved information  on price and actual delivered speeds to make comparisons and good  decisions about service. Current Data Sources for Industry and Government to Compare Broadband across Various Segments of the United States Have Limitations, and Stakeholders Generally Support Ongoing Efforts for Improvement

Despite FCC’s efforts to improve the data collected through its broadband  reporting form, comparisons of broadband service across various  segments of the country still have the following limitations that diminish  their usefulness in informing policy and investment decisions:    While FCC requires most broadband providers to report broadband  subscribership on the broadband reporting form, it does not have a  reporting requirement for these providers to report broadband  availability. Stakeholders generally agreed that the national broadband inventory map  would help supplement gaps in FCC’s broadband data by providing  detailed data on availability and subscribership across the country. International Broadband Comparisons Have Limitations for a Variety of Reasons, but Stakeholders Generally Support FCC’s Efforts to Develop Additional International Comparisons

As previously discussed, stakeholders reported that socioeconomic  differences among countries can limit the efficacy of international  comparisons. Despite the concerns raised about the limitations of the measures used for  international comparisons, several stakeholders found the comparisons  useful. Conclusions

A wide range of measures to assess broadband performance is generally  available to consumers, industry, and government. Nevertheless, all stakeholders are generally  supportive of NTIA’s State Broadband Data and Development Grant  Program and its effort to create a national broadband inventory map,  which could help fill some current gaps in data. However, NTIA lacks  specific guidance for grantees on calculating actual delivered speeds. Without such guidance, it will be difficult to ensure the consistency, and  therefore the quality, of the data, limiting the effectiveness of the mapping  effort in making comparisons across the country. Agency Comments

We provided a draft of this report to the Department of Commerce and  FCC for their review and comment. We also conducted a literature  review to identify broadband performance measures, including  international broadband comparisons. Table 4  contains a detailed list of the stakeholders included in our study:  To evaluate the limitations, if any, of the measures, and how the measures  could be supplemented or improved, we interviewed and reviewed related  documentation from the stakeholders previously mentioned to obtain their  opinions and analysis on the strengths and limitations of the measures and  any potential options identified.
Why GAO Did This Study

The Broadband Data Improvement Act, enacted in 2008, established a variety of initiatives intended to improve the quality of state and federal data on broadband (i.e., high-speed Internet) services and promote the deployment (the building of infrastructure over which broadband services can be provided) of affordable broadband services to all parts of the nation. The act required GAO to conduct a study to consider and evaluate additional broadband metrics or standards. This mandated report addresses (1) the measures generally available to consumers, industry, government and others, and (2) the limitations, if any, of the measures and how they could be supplemented or improved. To identify and evaluate the measures, GAO conducted a review of literature and related laws and interviewed and reviewed related documentation from stakeholder groups.

What GAO Found

Multiple measures are generally available to consumers, industry, and government to assess broadband performance. Consumers can generally access measures of availability, price, advertised speed, and actual delivered speed from providers and third parties to compare services. Industry and government also have access to some measures that enable comparisons across segments of the United States to inform policy and guide investment. For example, the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) data from its semiannual reporting requirement for providers are the primary source for comparing the availability of and subscribers to broadband. Through a literature review and interviews with stakeholders, GAO focused on 10 measures that can be used to make international comparisons of broadband service to inform policy. Eight were composite indexes that are generally used to account for factors such as demographic and economic differences among countries, which, according to stakeholders, can affect broadband deployment and penetration (the number or percentage of subscribers per capita or per household). Through available documentation and discussions with stakeholders, GAO found that current measures have limitations, views were mixed on potential alternatives, and ongoing efforts need improvement: (1) According to some stakeholders, the lack of comprehensive measures from the government to compare price, actual delivered speeds, and service reliability data from providers is a limitation for consumers. FCC has open proceedings on requiring providers to report such information, but there was no consensus among stakeholders on the need for additional reporting requirements and measures. (2) Stakeholders told GAO that FCC's semiannual data collection from providers does not include information on availability, price, or actual delivered speeds, which limits the ability to make comparisons across the country and inform policy or investment decisions. Stakeholders generally agreed that the Department of Commerce's effort to develop a national broadband inventory map through its State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program would address some gaps and provide detailed data on availability, subscribership, and actual delivered speeds, but the department did not provide guidance to grantees on calculating actual delivered speeds or specific standards to verify the data collected. This could result in inconsistent data and limit the effectiveness of the effort. GAO has previously reported that consistency and data verification are important for reducing the risk of producing inaccurate data. (3) Finally, the measures used for international broadband comparisons have limitations for a variety of reasons, including socioeconomic differences that make the comparisons difficult. Despite the concerns, stakeholders found the measures useful to help inform policy. Stakeholders generally supported FCC's efforts to develop international comparisons because the comparisons will be at a local level within each country, and could provide more relevant information.