Tuesday, June 22, 2010

I am already at 2020 standards for Internet speed . . .

Study: Pennsylvania slow in Internet speed
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
By Erich Schwartzel, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

As the Obama administration works to put American broadband connections on par with the rest of the world, Pennsylvania ranks among the worst states in the country for Internet speed, according to a new study.

The Pew Center on the States compared current Internet speeds with the "stimulus standard" speed that's been set as a benchmark by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Pennsylvania was in 39th place.

About 73.5 percent of the state's connections are up to "stimulus standard" (768 kilobits).

Connections deemed "high-speed" -- at least 6 megabits per second -- account for about 46 percent of Keystone state connections.

Hawaii topped the list with 88.3 percent of its access already at the approved level, and Montana came in last at 57.9 percent.

The Federal Communications Commission has said it wanted at least 100 million American households operating at 100 megabits per second by 2020.

In February, Pennsylvania received about $130 million in first-round stimulus funding to provide high-speed Internet access to rural areas across the state. Additional state applications have been submitted for later rounds, but no word has been issued yet on when those funds will be released.

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