JUNE 2, 2010 • The regulators at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is concerned whether consumers are getting the Internet speeds they are contracting for. The FCC is asking for 10,000 volunteers to take part in a study of residential broadband speeds. Those volunteers will be provided with equipment that measures Internet connections. The results will then be compared with advertised speeds. A broad range of connections from both phone and cable TV companies are the agency’s target.

Impact: The U.S. lags behind other developed countries, such as South Korea, in not only per capita broadband penetration but more importantly overall speed and quality of service. A major challenge in delivering ubiquitous broadband service is the large size of the U.S. with a spread out population that is not as concentrated in urban areas.  Even so, it is encouraging for the gaming industry that the FCC is looking to improve speed and service levels across broadband providers.  Given the long term importance of digital distribution and emerging business models, broadband is one of the most important facilitating technologies that the FCC can have a positive impact on.