Originally published at: The Verge Mapped Broadband Access Across the United States - TidBITS
The Verge has compiled a map of broadband access in the United States, painting a troubling picture for a country increasingly dependent on high-speed Internet service.
Hmm, my county is apparently at 99%, which is pretty impressive, but probably a good bit higher than it is in reality.
15% is a ridiculously low threshold! Turn that around, and it means that 85% do NOT have broadband. Really? Is that considered acceptable?
I have a cabin on a lake in the Adirondacks with DSL which has a rated speed of 185 kbps but feels like dialup. If more than one device is on, nothing gets through.
However, 2 companies are running fiber, so maybe next year my internet will finally arrive in the 21st century.
Not only is 15% a low threshold, but the avaraged data don’t point to disparities within counties. Some parts of the Chicago/Cook County area, for example, might be closer to 80%, while others are much lower. There are only two providers in my part of the city (despite its proximity to a major university), and only one offers speeds greater than 12Mbps down.
Interestingly the map seems to remind me of the Bible-belt. Coincidence?