FTTH Council Applauds Goals of National Broadband Plan

WASHINGTON - The Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Council - a non-profit organization of 200 companies and other organizations dedicated to expanding the deployment of all-fiber, next-generation networks - issued this statement today by its president, Joe Savage, on the release of the FCC's National Broadband Plan:

The FCC's National Broadband Plan puts America firmly on track toward a strategy to achieve a 100 megabit nation - something the FTTH Council has long called for. We applaud the plan's goal of near-universal connectivity of 100 megabits per second for downloading and at least 50 mbps for uploading.

America will need widely available, vastly higher broadband speeds within the next decade to ensure that our citizens and our businesses can compete in the global economy. Accordingly, we need a national strategy to expand next-generation, very high-bandwidth networks to every community in the country. The goal put forward by the FCC in the National Broadband Plan is an affirmative step in that direction.

The technology already exists to far exceed that goal. So does the willingness of many telecommunications providers to build the all-fiber networks that will get us there and beyond. Our hope for the National Broadband Plan is that it will set the stage for policies that will remove existing barriers and provide incentives for private investment, so that the deployment of this critical infrastructure can accelerate. This was the message we carried to the FCC throughout the process of developing this plan.

America's FTTH providers, and the manufacturing and engineering companies that support them, have already shown that lightning-fast broadband can be delivered to any home in any community. Indeed, all-fiber networks are now available to more than 15 percent of American households, and nearly six million American homes are already connected. We are optimistic that this National Broadband Plan will be the blueprint for finishing the important task of extended very high-bandwidth networks to all.

About the Fiber-to-the-Home Council

Now in its ninth year, the Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Council is a non-profit association consisting of companies and organizations that deliver video, Internet and/or voice services over high-bandwidth, next-generation, direct fiber optic connections - as well as those involved in planning and building FTTH networks. The Council works to create a cohesive group to share knowledge and build industry consensus on key issues surrounding fiber to the home. Its mission is to educate the public and government officials about FTTH solutions and to promote and accelerate deployment of fiber to the home and the resulting quality of life enhancements such networks make possible. More information about the Council can be found at www.ftthcouncil.org.
Media Contact:

David St. John
Media Relations
FTTH Council
315.849.3800
media@ftthcouncil.org