[RTC List] NTIA release on Broadband Map

[Sean McLaughlin]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, Feb 17, 2011 at 8:15 AM



*COMMERCE’S NTIA UNVEILS NATIONAL BROADBAND MAP

AND NEW BROADBAND ADOPTION SURVEY RESULTS

*

*Five to Ten Percent of Americans Lack Access to Basic Broadband Speeds;

Despite Broadband Adoption Increase to 68 Percent, America’s Digital Divide
Persists

*



*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

*February 17, 2011

News Media Contact:

Moira Vahey, (202) 482-0147, mvahey at ntia.doc.gov



WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA) today unveiled the National Broadband Map
-- the first public, searchable nationwide map of broadband Internet
availability -- and the results of a new nationwide survey on broadband
adoption.  The data will support efforts to expand broadband access and
adoption in communities at risk of being left behind in the 21st century
economy and help businesses and consumers seeking information on their
high-speed Internet options. NTIA met the deadline Congress gave the agency
to create and launch the National Broadband Map by February 17, 2011.

 “A state-of-the-art communications infrastructure is essential to America’s
competitiveness in the global digital economy,” said Acting Commerce Deputy
Secretary Rebecca Blank. “But as Congress recognized, we need better data on
America’s broadband Internet capabilities in order to improve them. The
National Broadband Map, along with today’s broadband Internet usage study,
will inform efforts to enhance broadband Internet access and adoption --
spurring greater innovation, economic opportunities, and advancements in
health care, education, and public safety.”



“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. 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,” said
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and NTIA
Administrator Lawrence E. Strickling. “Through NTIA’s Broadband Technology
Opportunities Program, digital literacy activities, and other initiatives,
including the tools we are releasing today, the Obama Administration is
working to address these challenges.”



*National Broadband Map

*

The National Broadband Map, available at www.broadbandmap.gov, is an
unprecedented searchable database of information on high-speed Internet
access. NTIA created the National Broadband Map in collaboration with the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC), using data that each state,
territory and the District of Columbia (or their designees) collected from
broadband providers or other data sources.



The website resulting from this Federal-state partnership includes more than
25 million searchable records showing where broadband Internet service is
available, the technology used to provide the service, the maximum
advertised speeds of the service, and the names of the service providers.
Users can search by address to find the broadband providers and services
available in the corresponding census block or road segment, view the data
on a map, or use other interactive tools to compare broadband across various
geographies, such as states, counties or congressional districts.



FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said, “The release of the National Broadband
Map, the first of its kind in the nation, is a significant milestone.  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.”



The map shows that between 5 - 10 percent of Americans lack access to
broadband at speeds that support a basic set of applications, including
downloading Web pages, photos and video, and using simple video
conferencing. The FCC last July set a benchmark of 4 Mbps actual speed
downstream and 1 Mbps upstream to support these applications. NTIA collected
data in ranges between 3 – 6 Mbps and 6 – 10 Mbps maximum advertised
download speeds, which are the closest measurements to the speed benchmark
for broadband that the FCC set.



Other key findings based on the data include:



*Speeds for community anchor institutions:* The data show that community
anchor institutions are largely underserved. For example, based on studies
by state education technology directors, most schools need a connection of
50 to 100 Mbps per 1,000 students. The data show that two-thirds of surveyed
schools subscribe to speeds lower than 25 Mbps, however. In addition, only
four percent of libraries reported subscribing to speeds greater than 25
Mbps.



*Wireless speeds:*  Approximately 36 percent of Americans have access to
wireless (fixed, mobile, licensed, and unlicensed) Internet service at
maximum advertised download speeds of 6 Mbps or greater, which some consider
the minimum speed associated with “4G” wireless broadband service.
Ninety-five percent of Americans have access to wireless Internet service
speeds of at least 768 kbps, which corresponds roughly to “3G” wireless
service.



The map will serve a variety of uses. For example, Federal, state, and local
policymakers can compare broadband availability among geographic areas and
across demographic groups, which can inform policies to support private
sector investments in deploying broadband. The data can assist broadband
providers in assessing new business opportunities and economic developers as
they work to attract businesses to, or address barriers to investment in,
their communities. The map will also help consumers and small businesses
learn about the broadband service options in their neighborhood or where
they may relocate.



*The State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program

*

NTIA created the map through the State Broadband Data and Development Grant
Program, a matching grant program that implements the joint purposes of the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Broadband Data Improvement
Act (BDIA). NTIA awarded grants to assist states or their designees in
gathering and verifying state-specific data on broadband services. In less
than one year, grantees performed two rounds of data collection from 3,400
broadband providers operating in their states, representing more than 1,650
unique broadband companies on the national level. Before sending data to
NTIA, grantees used a range of analysis and verification methods, from
drive-testing wireless broadband service across their highways to

meeting with community leaders for input. Many grantees met with broadband
providers, large and small, to confirm data or suggest more accurate
depictions of their service areas. Some grantees, unsure of service,
performed field investigations. Information on their specific processes may
be found on the national broadband map website.



The map will be updated every six months based on input from grantees. Using
crowdsourcing tools, the public can help improve accuracy by providing
feedback on the data. The map is consistent with the Obama Administration’s
Open Government Initiative, undertaking to bring transparency,
participation, and collaboration to the way the government operates.



NTIA’s grant program also supports a variety of state-driven efforts to
integrate broadband into their economies. In addition to managing this grant
program, NTIA will expand its information-sharing and coordination
activities in order to serve as a broader resource that empowers state and
local broadband practitioners as they develop their individualized plans of
action.



*Broadband Adoption Data

*

NTIA today also released a new report previewing data collected through the
Internet Usage Survey of 54,000 households, commissioned by NTIA and
conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau in October 2010. The Current Population
Survey (CPS) data show that while virtually all demographic groups have
experienced rising broadband Internet access adoption at home, historic
demographic disparities among groups have persisted over time.



Highlights of the February 2011 Digital Nation report include:



·          Broadband Internet access at home continues to grow: 68 percent
of households have broadband access, as compared to 63.5 percent last year.
(In the survey, broadband was defined as Internet access service that uses
DSL, cable modem, fiber optics, mobile broadband, and other high-speed
Internet access services.)



·          Notable disparities between demographic groups continue: people
with low incomes, disabilities, seniors, minorities, the less-educated,
non-family households, and the non-employed tend to lag behind other groups
in home broadband use.



·          While the digital divide between urban and rural areas has
lessened since 2007, it remains significant. In 2010, 70 percent of urban
households and only 60 percent of rural households accessed broadband
Internet service. (Last year, those figures were 66 percent and 54 percent,
respectively.)



·          Overall, the two most commonly cited main reasons for not having
broadband Internet access at home are that it is perceived as not needed (46
percent) or too expensive (25  percent). In rural America, however, lack of
broadband availability is a larger reason for non-adoption than in urban
areas (9.4 percent vs. 1 percent). Americans also cite the lack of a
computer as a factor.



·          Despite the growing importance of the Internet in American life,
28.3 percent of all persons do not use the Internet in any location, down
from 31.6 percent last year.



This report, accessible on www.ntia.doc.gov, is based on the first data sets
released by the Census Bureau. In the coming months, the Census Bureau will
provide NTIA with more geographically detailed data. NTIA intends to release
that data to the public through www.data.gov as part of the agency’s
commitment to open government and transparency.



             - # -
 If you would rather not receive future communications from NTIA, let us
know by clicking
here.<http://NTIA.pr-optout.com/OptOut.aspx?519367x24787x33169x1x4091519x24000x6&Email=headlines%40benton.org>NTIA,
National Telecomm and Info. Administrat. 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20230 United States
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://redwoodtech.org/pipermail/list_redwoodtech.org/attachments/20110217/7c8780e7/attachment.html>