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FCC To Survey Internet Access, Use

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The Associated Press

Published: October 1, 2008

WASHINGTON - Congress has passed legislation that will require the government to keep closer tabs on who has access to the Internet and who does not.

Backers hope the Broadband Data Improvement Act will help policymakers better identify areas of the country that are falling behind when it comes to high-speed Internet access.

The bill passed both houses of Congress, with the Senate approving a final version Tuesday on a voice vote.

The legislation requires the Federal Communications Commission to conduct consumer surveys of broadband use in urban, suburban and rural areas, as well as large and small business markets. Survey questions will include the cost of access and data transmission speeds.

The legislation requires the agency to compile a list of locales that lack broadband service and determine population and income levels in those areas.

The bill also requires the Census Bureau to add questions about Internet use on its survey.

Residents will be asked whether they have a computer, whether they have Internet access and, if so, whether they have a dial-up or broadband connection.

It also orders the Government Accountability Office to study broadband speeds and costs and to compare the "availability and quality of broadband offerings" in the United States to other industrialized nations.

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