Broadband Infrastructure Varies Greatly By State
By: Jeremy Thacker, Communications Specialist, Connected Nation
The state of the nation’s broadband infrastructure is taking center stage this week in Washington, D.C., where the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee is holding its 2011 State of the Net Conference. Participants are getting a first-hand look at new research results from Connected Nation, and one of the revelations from the nonprofit organization is just how greatly the current national broadband infrastructure varies by state.
Connected Nation did in-depth research in ten states, covering more than 1,400 broadband providers. The good news is that results found all states except for Alaska have broadband available to more than 90% of households at the NTIA’s basic download speed of 768 Kbps. But, when you look at higher speeds that compare to the minimum target set by the National Broadband Plan (NBP), the numbers are much less uniform. For example, 73% of Alaska households have broadband available at download speeds of 6 Mbps - that’s compared to 93% of households that have that speed available in Ohio, Nevada, and Texas.
The findings are even more revealing when future NBP goal speeds are considered. The research shows many states like Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, and South Carolina have robust service at basic speeds, but are not in a position to meet the high-speed 50 Mbps to 100 Mbps levels of service anytime soon.
Look for more groundbreaking research to be unveiled throughout the week as the 2011 State of the Net Conference continues.
The state of the nation’s broadband infrastructure is taking center stage this week in Washington, D.C., where the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee is holding its 2011 State of the Net Conference. Participants are getting a first-hand look at new research results from Connected Nation, and one of the revelations from the nonprofit organization is just how greatly the current national broadband infrastructure varies by state.
Connected Nation did in-depth research in ten states, covering more than 1,400 broadband providers. The good news is that results found all states except for Alaska have broadband available to more than 90% of households at the NTIA’s basic download speed of 768 Kbps. But, when you look at higher speeds that compare to the minimum target set by the National Broadband Plan (NBP), the numbers are much less uniform. For example, 73% of Alaska households have broadband available at download speeds of 6 Mbps - that’s compared to 93% of households that have that speed available in Ohio, Nevada, and Texas.
The findings are even more revealing when future NBP goal speeds are considered. The research shows many states like Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, and South Carolina have robust service at basic speeds, but are not in a position to meet the high-speed 50 Mbps to 100 Mbps levels of service anytime soon.
Look for more groundbreaking research to be unveiled throughout the week as the 2011 State of the Net Conference continues.
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Related links:
Download ‘The State of the Broadband Market’ (pdf)
Blog: Connected Nation at 2011 State of the Net Conference: Day 1
Labels: broadband infrastructure, ICAC
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