Acknowledging the fact that the broadband network in the US is not nearly as “robust” as it actually should be, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski recently unleashed an “ambitious” ‘100 Squared’ initiative – which essentially means providing 100 million US households with 100 megabits per second Internet access.

Saying that the US “should lead the world in ultra-high-speed broadband testbeds as fast, or faster, than anywhere in the world,” Genachowski added that the new national broadband plan will “unleash American ingenuity and ensure that businesses, large and small, are created here, move here, and stay here.”

The planned 100 Mbps will be over 20-fold faster than the average broadband connection speed currently available to the vast majority of Americans – the existing broadband speed is not fast enough to enable users to make the most of remote video learning or diagnostics.

Genachowski also conceded that broadband is currently not accessible by approximately 14 million Americans; and over 100 million Americans who “could and should” have broadband currently do not have it.

Noting that the strategic National Broadband Plan is currently a only an outline, which will be reviewed and revised in light of the ongoing expansion of knowledge and experience, Genachowski said that, once it becomes operational, the plan would set the Federal Government on track towards a ‘once-in-a-generation transformation’ of the Universal Service Fund, “converting it over time” to broadband support.