Labor & Employment Law

Report: Romania Beats U.S. in Internet Connection Speed

By James Parks

Just as the interstate highway system opened up the nation to fast transportation of goods and services in the 20th century, the road to economic prosperity in the 21st century rides on the Internet highway. But nearly half (49 percent) of U.S. residents have Internet connection speeds that do not meet the Federal Communications Commission?s (FCC’s) minimum broadband standards and, more importantly, the United States overall ranks in the bottom half of the world in broadband speed.

The “2010 Report of Internet Speeds in All 50 States” released today by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) found there are wide areas of the nation, both rural and urban, that do not have any broadband access at all. We even trail countries like Romania in broadband speed.  

CWA President Larry Cohen told a Washington, D.C., press conference:

Improving broadband deployment, connection speeds, and adoption will help facilitate job and business growth across the nation.

The report shows that the rate of increase in U.S. Internet connection speed is so slow, it will take the United States 60 years to catch up with current Internet speeds in South Korea, the country with the fastest Internet connections.

Northeastern states topped the chart again this year on Internet speeed, with many western and southern states staying on the bottom. The five fastest states, according to the study are: Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland and New York. Among the slowest states were: Montana, Wyoming, Arkansas and Mississippi.

If the United States is to continue to be competitive in the global economy, we must build a faster, widespread broadband infrastructure, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said at the press conference.

Today’s results highlight the need for investment in higher speed broadband networks to support America’s critical applications. That’s why moving forward on the National Broadband Plan is our top priority at the FCC.

Lack of access to high-speed Internet reflects a persistent digital divide among Americans. In urban and suburban areas, 70 percent of households subscribe to broadband, with only 50 percent of rural households subscribing to the service. For Americans who make more than $75,000 a year, 87 percent get broadband while only 45 percent of Americans who earn less than $30,000 subscribe.

At the  press conference, the Sierra Club and the NAACP joined together with CWA and the FCC to support the timely implementation of the National Broadband Plan, which lays a framework for all Americans to have access to affordable, high-speed Internet.

Hilary Shelton, the NAACP?s senior vice president for advocacy and policy, put the issue in perspective:

Every American, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, income or geographic location should have affordable access to high-speed Internet. This is essential to economic growth and will help advance and improve our global competitiveness.

Carl Pope, chairman of the Sierra Club said:

Broadband helps build sustainable communities by eliminating the barriers of distance, so people in rural areas can have unlimited access to information and the 21st century networks needed to strengthen and grow the economy. It helps conserve energy by eliminating travel-related carbon emissions and promotes energy efficiency through broadband-enabled smart grids and smart meters.

Read the full report here.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on December 15, 2010 (boomark / email).