Connected Nation moves forward in Minnesota, Nevada, Texas, Ohio
Connected Nation continues to expand its broadband initiatives in multiple states, as part of its mission to stimulate deployment and adoption of high-speed Internet to all Americans.
Just last week, Connect Minnesota announced the launch of interactive broadband mapping tools with broadband data broken down to the census block.
These tools will assist the state and organizations as they apply for broadband funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). They allow users to gather detailed data about broadband accessibility in rural and remote areas.
Like mapping programs run by Connected Nation in Ohio and Tennessee, Minnesota's map uses ArcGIS technology, in partnership with Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc (ESRI).
In Nevada and Texas, Connect Nevada and Connect Texas were designated the mapping entity for their respective states.
And in Madison County, Ohio, Connect Ohio is bringing the message of broadband to the 47% of the county, that according to their consumer surveys, say they don't see any benefits from broadband.
According to Connect Ohio surveys, only 9% of households in this rural community are without a computer, yet 50% do not subscribe to broadband.
A recent article in Madison County's local paper, The Madison Press, highlights the many benefits of broadband forresidents of rural Madison County.
With high speed broadband, residents would be able to make full use of the Madison Country Sherriff Department's robust web site, a service that allows residents leaving for vacation to register their homes online for inclusion in safety patrols while they're away.
Local farmers would benefit from broadband too - the article references a two-barn farm that installed sensors to monitor barn temperatures, feeder breaks and animal activity. The farmer was able to see real-time conditions and "if temperatures fall during the night, the farmer would be notified immediately of freezing conditions."
Other benefits include academic resources for Ohio students, faster communication tools for sending photos and documents through email and the ability to work from home using multiple web applications.
Read more about the many benefits of broadband and test your connection speed to see how your Internet connection measures up.
Connect Minnesota (Connected Nation)
Economic Stimulus package a victory for Speed Matters (Speed Matters)
Connect Ohio (Connected Nation)
Getting Wired for the Future (The Madison Press)
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