Can it be done?
Hillary Clinton, if elected, promises that 100% of households will
have access to affordable broadband service by 2020. She has indicated that $275 billion dollars
in continued funding of government programs such as Connect America, Rural
Utilities Services, and Broadband Technology Opportunities will support that
goal. The private sector is also part of
the solution as Google Fiber will enter more communities and cable
operators, like Comcast, will upgrade their data over cable networks.
But, there remains a digital divide. In urban communities, only 4% of the
population is without access to high speed broadband. Why?
The economics of installing/upgrading broadband networks works for
private firms in high population density areas.
The same is not true in rural communities where, on average, 39% of the
population is currently without access to high-speed broadband. Why? In
rural communities, the population density averages 17.5 persons per square
mile, compared to 2,438 in urban markets.
There is no incentive. Will the
government’s “commitment” be enough?
|
|
% of Urban Pop. w/o access
|
% of Rural Pop. w/o access
|
Access % Difference: Rural - Urban
|
Population Density - Rural
|
Population Density - Urban
|
Pop Density Difference: Urban - Rural
|
|
United States
|
4%
|
39%
|
35%
|
17.5
|
2,437.7
|
2,420.3
|
|
Alabama
|
6%
|
41%
|
35%
|
40.6
|
1,333.1
|
1,292.5
|
|
Alaska
|
5%
|
67%
|
62%
|
0.4
|
1,915.6
|
1,915.1
|
|
Arizona
|
8%
|
63%
|
55%
|
5.9
|
2,841.7
|
2,835.9
|
|
Arkansas
|
7%
|
48%
|
41%
|
25.0
|
1,588.8
|
1,563.9
|
|
California
|
2%
|
61%
|
59%
|
12.2
|
4,484.2
|
4,472.0
|
|
Colorado
|
4%
|
53%
|
49%
|
6.7
|
3,043.5
|
3,036.8
|
|
Connecticut
|
1%
|
1%
|
0%
|
142.0
|
1,753.6
|
1,611.5
|
|
Delaware
|
2%
|
10%
|
8%
|
102.5
|
1,926.1
|
1,823.6
|
|
Florida
|
4%
|
29%
|
25%
|
37.9
|
2,450.3
|
2,412.3
|
|
Georgia
|
4%
|
25%
|
21%
|
46.8
|
1,627.1
|
1,580.3
|
|
Hawaii
|
0%
|
22%
|
22%
|
18.4
|
3,331.3
|
3,312.9
|
|
Idaho
|
4%
|
55%
|
51%
|
5.6
|
2,434.6
|
2,429.0
|
|
Illinois
|
4%
|
56%
|
52%
|
26.4
|
2,947.6
|
2,921.3
|
|
Indiana
|
5%
|
52%
|
47%
|
52.8
|
1,933.6
|
1,880.8
|
|
Iowa
|
4%
|
37%
|
33%
|
18.3
|
2,200.3
|
2,182.1
|
|
Kansas
|
5%
|
49%
|
44%
|
8.0
|
2,344.5
|
2,336.5
|
|
Kentucky
|
3%
|
34%
|
31%
|
47.6
|
1,877.1
|
1,829.4
|
|
Louisiana
|
8%
|
50%
|
42%
|
29.3
|
1,720.1
|
1,690.8
|
|
Maine
|
4%
|
17%
|
13%
|
27.1
|
1,442.7
|
1,415.7
|
|
Maryland
|
3%
|
13%
|
10%
|
96.5
|
2,607.0
|
2,510.5
|
|
Massachusetts
|
2%
|
10%
|
8%
|
108.7
|
2,047.7
|
1,939.0
|
|
Michigan
|
3%
|
37%
|
34%
|
46.5
|
2,037.1
|
1,990.5
|
|
Minnesota
|
1%
|
43%
|
42%
|
17.4
|
2,405.7
|
2,388.3
|
|
Mississippi
|
9%
|
60%
|
51%
|
32.9
|
1,363.2
|
1,330.3
|
|
Missouri
|
5%
|
61%
|
56%
|
26.1
|
2,141.0
|
2,115.0
|
|
Montana
|
9%
|
61%
|
52%
|
3.0
|
2,004.4
|
2,001.5
|
|
Nebraska
|
6%
|
51%
|
45%
|
5.4
|
2,802.8
|
2,797.5
|
|
Nevada
|
5%
|
65%
|
60%
|
1.4
|
3,633.1
|
3,631.7
|
|
New Hampshire
|
3%
|
15%
|
12%
|
63.6
|
1,260.6
|
1,197.0
|
|
New Jersey
|
2%
|
21%
|
19%
|
104.4
|
2,901.0
|
2,796.6
|
|
New Mexico
|
9%
|
61%
|
52%
|
3.7
|
2,072.2
|
2,068.5
|
|
New York
|
0%
|
17%
|
17%
|
52.0
|
4,235.4
|
4,183.4
|
|
North Carolina
|
1%
|
20%
|
19%
|
74.9
|
1,479.9
|
1,405.0
|
|
North Dakota
|
2%
|
37%
|
35%
|
3.3
|
2,522.7
|
2,519.4
|
|
Ohio
|
2%
|
31%
|
29%
|
68.3
|
2,060.7
|
1,992.3
|
|
Oklahoma
|
9%
|
66%
|
57%
|
18.3
|
2,027.9
|
2,009.5
|
|
Oregon
|
5%
|
37%
|
32%
|
7.5
|
2,969.7
|
2,962.2
|
|
Pennsylvania
|
3%
|
20%
|
17%
|
67.5
|
2,162.3
|
2,094.8
|
|
Rhode Island
|
2%
|
2%
|
0%
|
154.0
|
2,377.9
|
2,223.9
|
|
South Carolina
|
8%
|
38%
|
30%
|
56.7
|
1,385.1
|
1,328.3
|
|
South Dakota
|
2%
|
26%
|
24%
|
4.3
|
2,299.5
|
2,295.2
|
|
Tennessee
|
2%
|
34%
|
32%
|
56.6
|
1,529.0
|
1,472.4
|
|
Texas
|
5%
|
46%
|
41%
|
15.2
|
2,643.6
|
2,628.4
|
|
Utah
|
3%
|
39%
|
36%
|
3.2
|
2,973.1
|
2,969.8
|
|
Vermont
|
2%
|
27%
|
25%
|
41.9
|
1,609.9
|
1,568.0
|
|
Virginia
|
3%
|
38%
|
35%
|
53.5
|
2,403.7
|
2,350.2
|
|
Washington
|
1%
|
14%
|
13%
|
17.0
|
2,520.7
|
2,503.7
|
|
West Virginia
|
10%
|
48%
|
38%
|
40.9
|
1,429.7
|
1,388.8
|
|
Wisconsin
|
1%
|
43%
|
42%
|
31.9
|
2,204.3
|
2,172.4
|
|
Wyoming
|
3%
|
63%
|
60%
|
2.1
|
2,001.6
|
1,999.5
|
|
Source: FCC 2016
Broadband Report
|
|
|
|
|
||
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