US FCC pushes for universal broadband

The US government has reiterated its commitment to universal access to broadband by promising to divert fixed-line telecoms subsidies.

US Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski said reform of the universal service fund (USF) – which was originally intended to ensure fixed-line phone services were provided in rural areas – should be used to free up funding for expanding access to broadband, "the indispensible infrastructure of the 21st century".

The USF “was designed for a world of traditional, landline telephones before cell phones or Skype; a world without the internet – a world that no longer exists,” he said.

The US approach is in stark contrast to the UK's, where government spending restrictions have seen it push back its commitments to universal broadband.

According to the Office of National Statistics, 19.2 million households in the UK had an internet connection in 2010, representing 73 per cent of households. The region with the highest level of access was London, with 83 per cent, the lowest was the North East, with 59 per cent.