Broadband or high-speed Internet access is provided by a series of technologies that give users the ability to send and receive data at volumes and speeds far greater than Internet access over traditional telephone lines. Currently, a number of telecommunications companies are developing, installing, and marketing specific technologies and services to provide broadband access to the home. Meanwhile, the federal government—through Congress and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)—is seeking to ensure fair competition among the players so that broadband will be available and affordable in a timely manner to all Americans who want it. Broadband is being increasingly viewed as a vital public infrastructure, significant to the nation's (and to individual regional, state, and local) economic growth and vitality. Broadband access, along with the content and services it enables, has the potential to transform the Internet—both what it offers and how it is used. For example, a two-way high speed connection could be used for interactive applications such as online classrooms, showrooms, or health clinics, where teacher and student (or customer and salesperson, doctor and patient) can see and hear each other through their computers. An "always on" connection could be used to monitor home security, home automation, or even patient health remotely through the Web. The high speed and high volume that broadband offers could also be used for bundled service where, for example, cable television, video on demand, voice, data, and other services are all offered over a single line. In truth, it is possible that many of the applications that will best exploit the technological capabilities of broadband, while also capturing the imagination of consumers, have yet to be developed. There are multiple transmission media or technologies that can be used to provide broadband access. These include cable modem, an enhanced telephone service called digital subscriber line (DSL), satellite technology, fiber, mobile or fixed wireless technologies, and others. Cable and DSL are currently the most widely used technologies for providing broadband access. Both require the modification of an existing physical infrastructure that is already connected to the home (i.e., cable television and telephone lines). Each technology has its respective advantages and disadvantages, and competes with each other based on performance, price, quality of service, geography, user friendliness, and other factors. The following sections summarize cable, DSL, and other broadband technologies. The same cable network that currently provides television service to consumers is being modified to provide broadband access. Because cable networks are shared by users, access speeds can decrease during peak usage hours, when bandwidth is being shared by many customers at the same time. Network sharing has also led to security concerns and fears that hackers might be able to eavesdrop on a neighbor's Internet connection. The cable industry is developing "next generation" technology which will significantly extend downloading and uploading speeds. DSL is a modem technology that converts existing copper telephone lines into two-way high speed data conduits. Speeds can depend on the condition of the telephone wire and the distance between the home and the telephone company's central office (i.e., the building that houses telephone switching equipment). Because DSL uses frequencies much higher than those used for voice communication, both voice and data can be sent over the same telephone line. Thus, customers can talk on their telephone while they are online, and voice service will continue even if the DSL service goes down. Like cable broadband technology, a DSL line is "always on" with no dial-up required. Unlike cable, however, DSL has the advantage of being unshared between the customer and the central office. Thus, data transmission speeds will not necessarily decrease during periods of heavy local Internet use. A disadvantage relative to cable is that DSL deployment is constrained by the distance between the subscriber and the central office. DSL technology over a copper wire only works within 18,000 feet (about three miles) of a central office facility. However, DSL providers are deploying technology to further increase deployment range. One option is to install "remote terminals" which can serve areas farther than three miles from the central office. Mobile or fixed wireless systems transmit data over the airwaves from towers or antennas to a receiver. Mobile wireless broadband services (also referred to as third generation or "3G") allow consumers to get broadband access over cell phones, PDAs, or wireless modem cards connected to a laptop. The FCC has auctioned frequencies currently occupied by broadcast channels 52-69. These and other frequencies in the 700 MHZ band are possible candidates for wireless broadband applications. A number of wireless technologies, corresponding to different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, also have potential. These include the upperbands (above 24GHz), the lowerbands (multipoint distribution service or MDS, below 3 GHz), broadband personal communications services (PCS), wireless communications service (2.3 GHz), and unlicensed spectrum. Unlicensed spectrum is being increasingly used to provide high-speed short-distance wireless access (popularly called "wi-fi") to local area networks, particularly in urban areas where wired broadband connections already exist. A new and developing wireless broadband technology (called "WiMax") has the capability to transmit signals over much larger areas. Another broadband technology is optical fiber to the home (FTTH). Optical fiber cable, already used by businesses as high speed links for long distance voice and data traffic, has tremendous data capacity, with transmission speeds dramatically higher than what is offered by cable modem or DSL broadband technology. While the high cost of installing optical fiber in or near users' homes has been a major barrier to the deployment of FTTH, both Verizon and AT&T (formerly SBC) are rolling out fiber-based architectures that will offer consumers voice, video, and high-speed data (sometimes referred to as a "triple play"). Some public utilities are also exploring or beginning to offer broadband access via fiber inside their existing conduits. Additionally, some companies are investigating the feasibility of transmitting data over power lines, which are already ubiquitous in people's homes. Satellite broadband Internet service is currently being offered by three providers: Hughes Network Systems (DirecWay), Starband (Spacenet Inc.) and WildBlue. Like cable, satellite is a shared medium, meaning that privacy may be compromised and performance speeds may vary depending upon the volume of simultaneous use. Another disadvantage of Internet -over-satellite is its susceptibility to disruption in bad weather. On the other hand, the big advantage of satellite is its universal availability. Whereas cable or DSL is not available to some parts of the United States, satellite connections can be accessed by anyone with a satellite dish facing the southern sky. This makes satellite Internet access a possible solution for rural or remote areas not served by other technologies. According to the latest FCC data on the deployment of high-speed Internet connections (released March 2008), as of June 30, 2007, there were 100.9 million high speed lines connecting homes and businesses to the Internet in the United States, a growth rate of 22% during the first half of 2007. Of the 100.9 million high speed lines reported by the FCC, 65.9 million serve residential users. While the broadband adoption rate stands at roughly 58% of U.S. households, broadband availability is much higher. As of June 30, 2007, the FCC found at least one high-speed subscriber in 99% of all zip codes in the United States. The FCC estimates that "roughly 20 percent of consumers with access to advanced telecommunications capability do subscribe to such services." According to the FCC, possible reasons for the gap between broadband availability and subscribership include the lack of computers in some homes, price of broadband service, lack of content, and the availability of broadband at work. According to the International Telecommunications Union, the U.S. ranks 24 th worldwide in broadband penetration (subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in 2007). Data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) found the U.S. ranking 15 th among OECD nations in broadband access per 100 inhabitants as of December 2007. By contrast, in 2001 an OECD study found the U.S. ranking 4 th in broadband subscribership per 100 inhabitants (after Korea, Sweden, and Canada). While many argue that the U.S. declining performance in international broadband rankings is a cause for concern, others—including the Administration—maintain that the OECD and ITU data undercount U.S. broadband deployment, and that cross-country broadband deployment comparisons are not necessarily meaningful and inherently problematic. Finally, an issue related to international broadband rankings is the extent to which broadband speeds and prices differ between the U.S. and the rest of the world. While the number of new broadband subscribers continues to grow, the rate of broadband deployment in urban and high income areas appears to be outpacing deployment in rural and low-income areas. According to the latest FCC data on the deployment of high-speed Internet connections (released March 2008), high-speed subscribers were reported in 99% of the most densely populated zip codes, as opposed to 91% of zip codes with the lowest population densities. Similarly, for zip codes ranked by median family income, high-speed subscribers were reported present in 99% of the top one-tenth of zip codes, as compared to 92% of the bottom one-tenth of zip codes. Similarly, 2008 data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project indicate that while broadband adoption is growing in urban, suburban, and rural areas, broadband users make up larger percentages of urban and suburban users than rural users. Pew found that the percentage of all U.S. adults with broadband at home is 60% for suburban areas, 57% for urban areas, and 38% for rural areas. Some policymakers assert that disparities in broadband access across American society could have adverse consequences on those left behind. Many believe that advanced Internet applications—voice over the Internet protocol (VoIP) or high quality video, for example—and the resulting ability for businesses and consumers to engage in e-commerce, may increasingly depend on high speed broadband connections to the Internet.