“Averages don’t always reveal the most telling realities. You know , Shaquille O’Neal and I have an average height of 6 feet.” – former U.S. Labor Secretary, Robert Reich.

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We continue to get new data that helps spell out the state of broadband in America, but sometimes we have to sift through the numbers to see what’s actually being captured.

While some coverage of this week’s FCC Report on Broadband Internet Access Services seems to have opted for a glass half-empty approach, (“more than two-thirds (68%) of… U.S. broadband connections tracked were too slow… to technically qualify as high-speed service”), there’s a decidedly different story if you look more closely at the numbers.

First, the report focuses on what broadband speeds consumers elect to purchase, not on availability. Second, the Report includes all available means to connect to the Internet – including wireless and DSL – in addition to fiber and cable broadband deployments.

Cable broadband is available to 93% of U.S. households, offering speeds of 5 Mbps or faster to more than 90% of U.S. households. With continued investment in the rollout of ultra-fast access built on DOCSIS 3.0, the future will only get brighter for those consumers with the need for speed. A report earlier this year forecast that D3 would reach approximately 92% of homes by 2013.

The Report’s findings do mean that many consumers have higher speeds available to them but are opting to subscribe to lower speed tiers. In part, this is just a reflection of the choices that are available. While cable is busy deploying faster speeds, we offer multiple options. Some people elect to connect to the Internet through their mobile devices. Others to want to save money by opting for slower connections. It’s important to make sure that consumers can select the scenario that works best for their needs.

As we all work together to promote broadband adoption and to expand the reach and capabilities of next-generation broadband networks, it’s good to get beyond the averages of the marketplace and take stock of some of the good news.

In a discussion involving the people responsible for wireless strategies at America’s largest cable companies, one thing was clear – there is no single path they are taking to deliver wireless.  Cathy Avgiris of Comcast, John Bickham of Cablevision, Stephen Bye from Cox Communications, Frank Miller of Bend Broadband, and Mike Roudi from Time Warner Cable spoke today at The Cable Show in Los Angeles, on the panel “Spectrum of Possibility: Technology & Strategy for the Business of Wireless Communications.”

While most noted the agreement between industry players Sprint and Clearwire to provide mobile outside their service areas, there were differing business plans on display.  Stephen Bye noted Cox Communications plans to build its own wireless network using current 3G technology, but also noted the ease of upgrading to LTE in the longer term.  That approach puts Cox at odds with most of the other operators.

Comcast’s Avgiris, for instance, noted the different approach cable operators had taken to telephony years ago.  Rather than try to develop a circuit-switched network, many cable operators began pursuing a VoIP solution that would allow them to be competitive without high upfront costs.

Similarly, Avgiris said companies like Comcast and Time Warner are looking at Wi-Fi networks and dual mode smartphones to deliver their wireless offerings.

Cablevision’s Bickham discussed the deployment of their Optimum WiFi service in the New York area (see this earlier post), and the agreement between Time Warner, Comcast, and Cablevision to allow Wi-Fi roaming across each others’ networks (see this Multichannel News article).

All agreed that wireless would be a key part of the bundle of services offered by cable operators, but most spoke to the consumer benefits of that.  It’s no longer about bundling services just to save money, it’s about the experience.  When customers can use their mobile device as a gateway and player for their home based services, that becomes a powerful driver for consumer interaction.