[pchelpers] usa behind on internet speeds

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2007-06-25-net-speeds_N.htm
(At least I don't live in Alaska!)

U.S. Net access not all that speedy
By Leslie Cauley, USA TODAY
The USA trails other industrialized nations in high-speed Internet 
access and may never catch up unless quick action is taken by 
public-policymakers, a report commissioned by the Communications Workers 
of America warns.

The median U.S. download speed now is 1.97 megabits per second --- a 
fraction of the 61 megabits per second enjoyed by consumers in Japan, 
says the report released Monday. Other speedy countries include South 
Korea (median 45 megabits), France (17 megabits) and Canada (7 megabits).

"We have pathetic speeds compared to the rest of the world," CWA 
President Larry Cohen says. "People don't pay attention to the fact that 
the country that started the commercial Internet is falling woefully 
behind."

Speed matters on the Internet. A 10-megabyte file takes about 15 seconds 
to download with a 5-megabit connection --- fast for the USA. Download 
time with a 545-kilobit connection, about the entry-level speed in many 
areas: almost 2½ hours.

Broadband speed is a function of network capacity: The more capacity you 
have, the more speed you can deliver. Speed, in turn, allows more and 
better Internet applications, such as photo sharing and video streaming. 
Superfast speeds are imperative for critical applications such as 
telemedicine.

In recent years, communities also have found that good broadband is 
essential to draw businesses and jobs.

For all those reasons, Cohen says, it is important for policymakers to 
act now: "In order to maintain our place in today's global economy --- 
and to create the jobs we need --- our government must act."

The CWA report is based on input from 80,000 broadband users (less than 
5% of respondents used dial-up). In addition to drawing comparisons with 
other countries, the report ranks U.S. states on median download speeds. 
(Upload speeds are also rated.)

The Federal Communications Commission, which has broad sway over the 
emerging broadband market, defines "high speed" as 200 kilobits per 
second. The benchmark was adopted more than a dozen years ago when 
still-slower dial-up was the rule. Cohen says 200 kilobits is not even 
recognized as broadband in most countries today. "There is nothing 
speedy about it."

The FCC in April opened a proceeding that could result in the 
redefinition of what can be advertised as "broadband Internet service" 
in this country. "We're asking the question if the definition should be 
changed," spokeswoman Tamara Lipper says.

The comment period ended May 31, and a report from the FCC is likely in 
the fall.

Internet on-ramp speeds by state
Median broadband Internet access speed for each state in testing by the 
Communications Workers of America. Test your speed at 
http://www.speedmatters.org.
*State*         *Median download speed (mbps) *         *Speed rank*
USA     1.973    
Alaska  0.545   51
Alabama         1.777   25
Arkansas        1.326   42
Arizona         1.635   29
California      1.520   36
Colorado        1.354   41
Connecticut     2.244   15
District of Columbia    1.372   39
Delaware        2.657   9
Florida         2.368   13
Georgia         2.714   7
Hawaii  1.965   23
Iowa    1.262   47
Idaho   1.323   43
Illinois        2.184   17
Indiana         1.955   24
Kansas  4.167   2
Kentucky        1.607   32
Louisiana       2.751   6
Massachusetts   3.004   5
Maryland        2.589   10
Maine   1.534   35
Michigan        2.042   19
Minnesota       1.771   26
Missouri        1.432   38
Mississippi     1.620   30
Montana         1.312   45
North Carolina  2.225   16
North Dakota    1.308   46
Nebraska        1.994   22
New Hampshire   2.700   8
New Jersey      3.680   3
New Mexico      1.716   27
Nevada  1.617   31
New York        3.436   4
Ohio    1.359   40
Oklahoma        1.689   28
Oregon  2.390   12
Pennsylvania    1.567   33
Rhode Island    5.011   1
South Carolina  2.338   14
South Dakota    0.825   50
Tennessee       2.035   20
Texas   1.509   37
Utah    1.323   43
Virginia        2.394   11
Vermont         2.005   21
Washington      2.176   18
Wisconsin       1.551   34
West Virginia   1.117   49
Wyoming         1.246   48
/Speed tests results for Sept. 2006 through May 2007; most participants 
had DSL or cable modem connections Source: CWA Communications/

 




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