One in five Missouri households lacks high speed internet

One in 5 Missouri households lack access to high speed internet, according to a recent study by the Missouri Public Service Commission.

As troubling as that statistic sounds, access for rural Missouri is actually even worse:

Statewide, 78 percent of households have at least some access to broadband connections. But that total falls to 65 percent when not counting the metropolitan areas of Kansas City, St. Louis and Springfield, where 93 percent of residents can get high-speed online in their home.

In communities of fewer than 25,000 residents, high speed internet access drops to just 62 percent. Clearly small towns in Missouri--and across the country--are being left behind.

As our nation fights to maintain the strength of rural communities, working for universal high speed internet access is vital. Small business and communities have the a lot to gain from high speed internet, from civic to medical to educational opportunities. As the Missouri Public Service study confirmed, without a national policy and implementation plan, high speed internet will continue to be unavailable to many.

One-fifth of Missourians lack access to high-speed Internet (The Joplin Globe)

Need for National Policy (Speed Matters)