FCC releases first time census-tract data on broadband

_{Source: FCC}

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a report detailing census-tract data on high speed Internet service speed and availability. While the FCC has been collecting information on broadband providers since 2000, this is the first report that provides comprehensive data at a county level.

The new data shows that the broadband gap even more apparent. In 200 counties (one percent of U.S. households), 20 percent of households had no broadband connection (as defined by a speed of more than 200 kbps), while in 104 counties (containing eight percent of U.S. households) at least 80 percent had adopted such technology.

While many broadband technologies have gained in popularity over the least year, rates of adoption in many areas have slowed:

• The annual rate of increase in broadband availability has fallen - from 17 percent in 2008 to 10 percent in 2009 - year over year.
• While high-speed connections in the form of cable modems and aDSL connections have gained in popularity - 14 percent and 3 percent respectively - fiber optic connections are leading the charge at an astounding gain of over 56 percent in the last year.
• 84 percent of total broadband connections - 86 million of 200 high speed data connections throughout the United States - exceed 200kbs, the FCC's definition of a broadband connection. 77 percent met the definition of 768 kbps or higher used for the purposes of awarding broadband grants under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
• When only considering fixed-location connections - connections not including Internet provided through a wireless carrier - 89 percent of all broadband connections met the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act definition (768 kbps or higher).
• Although building sustainable high-speed connections are a major component of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the quest for faster speeds have fallen by the wayside - especially in regard to mobile connections.

Although building sustainable high-speed connections are a major component of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the quest for faster speeds have fallen by the wayside - especially in regard to mobile connections.

High-Speed Services for Internet Access: Status as of December 31, 2008 (FCC)