A side-by-side comparison
|
Pennsylvania
|
Iowa
|
Restrictions on Municipal Broadband
|
Yes
|
No
|
Median Income (2009-2013)
|
$52.5K
|
$51.8K
|
Population (2010)
|
12.7M
|
3.1M
|
Population density (pp/sq. mile)
|
283.9
|
54.5
|
# of counties
|
67
|
99
|
% population -- rural
|
27%
|
36%
|
% of population served by __ providers
≥2
≥3
≥4
|
95.4
86.9
52.0
|
78.4
38.5
6.9
|
% of population with download speed greater than
Ø 100
mbps
Ø 50
mbps
Ø 25
mbps
|
74.4
89.9
90.4
|
64.3
77.7
79.1
|
# of towns (counties) with municipal broadband
|
2 (2)
|
23 (18)
|
Total population of municipal broadband towns
|
8.4K
|
132.5K
|
Sources: broadbandmap.gov, census.gov, and Community-based Broadband Solutions,
Executive Office of the President, January 2015.
While the median income of the two states is similar, little
else is, including broadband deployment and the legislative position on municipal
broadband. In Pennsylvania, the
percentages of the population served by more than 2, 3, and 4 wireline
providers and the quality of service offered (as measured by available download
speeds), far exceed that found in Iowa.
The differences cannot be attributed to the presence of restrictions in
Pennsylvania and the absence of them in Iowa.
The differences can only be attributed to the high costs of deploying
wireline broadband into sparsely populated areas. For these rural communities, it then becomes
how do they get (pay for) high-speed broadband if that is something that they
value? They are tough decisions, for
sure. But, there shouldn't be any
artificial (self-imposed) state barriers from preventing discussions from
taking place. In Iowa, 23 communities in 18 counties have implemented municipal broadband. The remaining 81 counties, most of them rural, have chosen not to. Rural communities in Pennsylvania should have that same right.
COUNTY -->
|
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County
|
Town with Muni Broadband
|
County Pop.
|
Pop of Muni Towns
|
Muni Pop/Co. Pop
|
Wireline no>2
|
Wireline no>3
|
Wireline no>4
|
DL>100
|
DL>50
|
DL>25
|
Taylor
|
Lenox
|
5,960
|
1,359
|
22.8%
|
48.8%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
23.9%
|
23.9%
|
47.7%
|
Pocahontas
|
Laurens
|
6,738
|
1,232
|
18.3%
|
53.9%
|
9.8%
|
0.0%
|
46.6%
|
46.6%
|
46.6%
|
Monona
|
Mapleton
|
8,873
|
1,235
|
13.9%
|
50.3%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
8.5%
|
82.3%
|
82.3%
|
Keokuk
|
Webster City
|
10,078
|
73
|
0.7%
|
41.9%
|
22.9%
|
0.0%
|
14.4%
|
38.4%
|
38.4%
|
Mitchell
|
Osage
|
10,661
|
3,634
|
34.1%
|
53.5%
|
37.3%
|
0.0%
|
38.0%
|
38.0%
|
55.5%
|
Shelby
|
Harlan
|
11,682
|
5,027
|
43.0%
|
55.7%
|
45.2%
|
42.5%
|
45.0%
|
45.0%
|
45.0%
|
Grundy
|
Grundy Center Reinbeck
|
12,424
|
4,331
|
34.9%
|
70.1%
|
23.7%
|
0.0%
|
29.2%
|
62.2%
|
62.2%
|
O'Brien*
|
Hartley, Paullina, Primghar, Sanborn
|
13,950
|
4,912
|
35.2%
|
73.3%
|
3.6%
|
0.0%
|
6.4%
|
20.6%
|
23.3%
|
Kossuth
|
Algona
|
14,877
|
5,513
|
37.1%
|
61.5%
|
41.4%
|
0.0%
|
55.2%
|
55.2%
|
55.2%
|
Clay
|
Spencer
|
16,421
|
11,150
|
67.9%
|
74.3%
|
67.5%
|
0.0%
|
73.4%
|
78.6%
|
78.6%
|
Jackson
|
Bellevue
|
19,652
|
2,172
|
11.1%
|
61.7%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
44.9%
|
44.9%
|
44.9%
|
Buena Vista
|
Alta
|
20,232
|
1,883
|
9.3%
|
72.4%
|
65.5%
|
0.0%
|
69.0%
|
69.1%
|
69.3%
|
Carroll
|
Coon Rapids, Manning
|
20,659
|
2,762
|
13.4%
|
73.0%
|
50.2%
|
1.0%
|
57.8%
|
57.8%
|
64.3%
|
Buchanan
|
Independence
|
20,932
|
5,968
|
28.5%
|
40.4%
|
27.4%
|
0.0%
|
33.3%
|
42.0%
|
42.0%
|
Sioux
|
Hawarden
|
34,342
|
2,551
|
7.4%
|
51.8%
|
19.1%
|
0.2%
|
4.4%
|
77.6%
|
77.6%
|
Muscatine
|
Muscatine
|
43,252
|
23,034
|
53.3%
|
74.6%
|
0.1%
|
0.0%
|
83.6%
|
84.5%
|
84.5%
|
Warren
|
Indianola
|
48,367
|
15,108
|
31.2%
|
72.1%
|
35.0%
|
0.0%
|
74.1%
|
75.9%
|
76.6%
|
Black Hawk
|
Cedar Falls
|
132,848
|
40,566
|
30.5%
|
90.0%
|
27.4%
|
0.0%
|
42.7%
|
95.1%
|
95.1%
|
* All provided by The Community Agency
|
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