Broadband map goes live ... if you can download it - Houston Chronicle

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WASHINGTON — As many as one in 10 Americans can't get Internet connections that are fast enough for common tasks such as viewing photos, video and Web pages, and two-thirds of schools have broadband connections that are too slow to meet their needs.

Those are some conclusions from the Commerce Department as it unveiled a detailed, interactive online map showing what types of high-speed Internet connections are available - or missing - in the country.

The national broadband map, which was required by the 2009 economic stimulus bill, went live Thursday at www.broadbandmap.gov with lofty aspirations and utilitarian goals.

Government officials hope the map will help guide policymakers, researchers, public interest groups and telecommunications companies as they seek to bridge the digital divide in even the most remote reaches of the U.S.

Searching for options

They also hope the map will serve as a valuable tool for consumers who just want to find out what local broadband options are available where they live.

Consumers can type an address into the map and pull up a list of the local broadband providers, along with details about the types of high-speed connections they offer - such as cable modem service, fiber-optic links or wireless access - and just how fast those connections are.

The map also includes crowd-sourcing features that ask consumers to contribute their own knowledge to the database. They can, for instance, confirm that they are getting the Internet speeds the map says they should be getting or let the map know if a local broadband provider is missing from the neighborhood list.

In addition, the map allows users to run all sorts of comparisons - ranking counties across a state by the fastest broadband speeds or allowing consumers to look up where their own county ranks nationally, for instance.

And it can produce snapshots of an entire community that could be useful for local economic developers or real estate agents - showing what percent of a county has access to particular types of broadband technologies or how many schools in a community have ultra-fast links.

The map also allows users to compare broadband data with local demographics such as income and poverty levels.

Among the findings:

Between 5 percent and 10 percent of Americans lack access to broadband access that is fast enough to handle downloads of Web pages, photos and video or simple video conferencing services.

Two-thirds of schools surveyed have Internet connections that are slower than 25 megabits per second - well below the 50- to 100-megabit connections that state education technology directors say are needed to serve roughly 1,000 students.

Only 4 percent of libraries have connections speeds that are faster than 25 megabits.

Only 36 percent of Americans have access to wireless connections that are fast enough to be considered fourth generation, with download speeds of at least 6 megabits per second, although 95 percent of Americans have access to third-generation wireless service.

"There are still too many people and community institutions lacking the level of broadband service needed to fully participate in the Internet economy," said Lawrence Strickling, head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the branch of the Commerce Department that is overseeing the broadband mapping project.

Last year, the Federal Communications Commission released a national broadband plan that set a goal of connecting 100 million U.S. households to broadband connections of 100 megabits per second - at least 20 times faster than most home connections now - by 2020.

The raw data for the map comes from 1,650 Internet service providers - primarily phone, cable and wireless companies.

The NTIA awarded grants to government agencies or nonprofits in every state to collect, confirm and package the data to go into the nationwide map, which was then compiled by the NTIA and the FCC.

The total price tag of the map, which will be updated twice a year, comes out to $200 million over five years.

Looking at digital future

Federal officials say the data will shape national broadband policy and determine where best to invest government funds into order to ensure that all Americans have access to the high-speed connections needed in today's digital society.

The Obama administration argues that broadband can play a crucial role in bringing new businesses and new economic opportunities to depressed communities.

High-speed Internet connections can also make it possible for doctors to consult with patients hundreds of miles away, for students to take online classes at universities across the country and for governments to deliver services more efficiently.

According to a survey of 54,000 households conducted by the Census Bureau in October, 68 percent of U.S. households subscribe to broadband.

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Tuesday, February 22, 2011