SMARTER STRATEGIES

National Broadband Map Reveals Major Gaps in Service

Rebecca Kutzer-Rice | Date: 02-23-11 | Comments

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration recently released the highly anticipated National Broadband Map, an interactive Website charting the nation's connectivity. The tool reveals major holes in broadband service around the country.

A few weeks ago, we wrote about what President Obama's State of the Union address means for the future of technology: new jobs, better education and a focus on innovation. He also re-emphasized his support for the Federal Communication Commission's National Broadband Plan.

"Within the next five years, we'll make it possible for businesses to deploy the next generation of high-speed wireless coverage to 98 percent of all Americans," Obama said in his speech. "This isn't about faster Internet or fewer dropped calls. It's about connecting every part of America to the digital age."

Now, the highly anticipated National Broadband Map has been released, along with a survey about the country's broadband connections. The map provides visual proof for what many already suspected�there are major holes in America's connectivity.

The newly released National Broadband Map shows huge gaps in broadband service, particularly in the middle and western parts of the United States.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski was enthusiastic about the map. "The release of the National Broadband Map, the first of its kind in the nation, is a significant milestone," he said in a statement. "This cutting-edge tool will continue to evolve with the help of new data and user feedback. It will provide consumers, companies and policymakers with a wealth of information about broadband availability, speeds, competition and technology, and help Americans make better informed choices about their broadband services."

Despite the milestone it marks, the map shows that only 68 percent of households in the United States have broadband access. Although that's up from last year's 63.5 percent, it's still a long way from the goals of the National Broadband Plan.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) spent about $200 million and five years building the map, according to the agency's Assistant Secretary Larry Strickling. Funds were provided by the 2009 Recovery Act�Obama's stimulus package�and divided between the 50 U.S. states, all territories and Washington, D.C. The FCC provided another $20 million to the project.

Strickling hopes the map will help officials bring broadband access to more people. "The National Broadband Map shows there are still too many people and community institutions lacking the level of broadband service needed to fully participate in the Internet economy," he said in a statement. "We are pleased to see the increase in broadband adoption last year, particularly in light of the difficult economic environment, but a digital divide remains."

In addition to providing data about broadband access, the map shows that a staggering 36 percent of people lack access to wireless service. Its data also finds that community locations, such as schools and libraries, are falling behind in the digital age. According to the survey, two-thirds of schools have broadband speeds lower than 25M bps and just 4 percent of libraries have speeds greater than 25M bps.

The map lets users browse broadband availability in every neighborhood of the United States. Users can zoom in and pan out across different areas, and the map provides detailed data analysis about wireline and wireless providers, broadband technology, and much more. Results can be ranked by various categories, and users can share their findings with social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter.
You can search your own state or neighborhood on the interactive map, which can be found here.