WTA Responds to Broadband Benchmark Public Notice

Today, WTA responded to the FCC’s Public Notice on Broadband Benchmarks. In its comments WTA stressed the importance accurate calculations of reasonably comparable broadband rate benchmarks for rural high-cost support recipients. WTA supports the continued inclusion of accurate upload speed and capacity allowance variables in the Urban Rate Survey and its benchmark calculations as upload speeds are a major and growing service requirement and cost component of rural broadband service. Likewise, capacity allowances and overage charges appear to be a much more common component of urban broadband pricing than rural broadband pricing and need to be included in the Survey data and benchmarks in order to provide an accurate and equitable standard against which to compare rural rates.