North Carolina’s state technology agency unveiled a new tool for measuring broadband speeds statewide, reports Statescoop.com. This portion of a long-term infrastructure plan could bring improved connectivity to rural areas throughout the state, since current laws limit broadband competition, restricting access to wireless service.
The new tool will use a map to show which areas have broadband access, the number of providers available, and encourage residents to share their broadband availability to validate and refine data. This information will be shared with the FCC and can influence the amount of grant funding the state receives, hopefully moving to increase coverage in underserved areas. The state Department of Technology states the data will help “prioritize future projects and expand broadband to communities that need it most,” in a press release.
According to the FCC, North Carolina’s broadband coverage comes in at 93 percent and ranks as the 19th most connected state nationwide; approximately 20 percent of the state’s rural areas lack access to broadband speeds.
Jeff Sural, director of the state Broadband Infrastructure Office stated, “We repeatedly hear from citizens that their homes or businesses do not have internet access even though the map shows they do. This new platform will help to provide information that can be extremely important for project planning and funding purposes.”
State Chief Information Officer Eric Boyette tells Statescoop.com, “Access to high-speed internet is crucial these days, and I’m encouraged by the fact that this technology will bring us one step closer to making sure that North Carolinians receive the services they need, regardless of their geographic location throughout the state.”
Some blame the state’s regulations for this urban versus rural broadband divide. According to Christopher Mitchell, director of community broadband networks for the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, “The state perversely discourages investment from local governments and cooperatives.” The laws that limit accessible broadband in rural areas include a 1999 statute that restricts electric cooperatives’ access to capital for telecommunications and a 2011 law that binds the power of local governments in building internet networks.
June 1, 2017
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