According to an FCC statement released today [pdf], more than 100 million Americans should have access to an at least 100Mbps broadband Internet connection by 2020.  Sounds great, right?  We’ll all be streaming high definition video over the Internet with enough bandwidth to spare for any social networking or cloud computing needs that may arise within the next decade.

Unfortunately, unless the FCC has plans to become an ISP, the commission’s recommendations may not garner much traction with current broadband providers, who actually have to figure out how to provide this augmented service.  And while technologies like Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) and DOCSIS 3.0 cable modems have given providers like Verizon the means to vastly upgrade and invest in their network infrastructure, thus providing more and enhanced services to consumers that could meet the 100Mbps FCC goal, the widespread rural roll-outs of this infrastructure necessary to reach 100 million people have not commenced.  From the prepared remarks of FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski…

“Our plan will set goals for the U.S. to have the world’s largest market of very high-speed broadband users.  A ’100 Squared’ initiative — 100 million households at 100 megabits per second — to unleash American ingenuity and ensure that businesses, large and small, are created here, move here, and stay here.”

In reality, 100Mbps for 100 million Americans should have been this country’s goal for today set ten years ago.  Presently, the U.S. is so far behind the rest of the developed world in broadband penetration and speed that the FCC’s seemingly robust recommendations will only continue to forstall US broadband supremacy.  In 2020, it’s very likely that 100Mbps will considered as slow as we currently consider the once blazing fast 56kbps dial-up modem.  Even Google has committed to providing up to 500,000 people an up to 1Gbps broadband Internet connection in a pilot program to test advanced Internet technologies.  That connection is 10 times faster than what the FCC is currently proposing, proving that it’s up to the innovation and recognition by private industry that a robust, far reaching, and high speed national broadband network is imperative to the continued economic viability of the country.