Government studies In its report on the Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications Capability, the Federal Communications Commission released data on broadband penetration in the United States. The FCC collected data on broadband access in late 1998, 1999, and 2000 and found that penetration had skyrocketed over that period of time. However, the report also states that segments of the population are being left behind. In addition, the U.S. Census Bureau released the first study of e-commerce for key sectors of the economy. The report compared e-commerce activity in the manufacturing, wholesale, service, and retail sectors in 1999. The findings indicate the importance of B-to-B commerce on the Internet.