03/05/10
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Three states make it easier to find broadband access
Illinois, Tennessee and Ohio recently completed a project that allows residents and small business owners to research broadband providers in the state. The Broadband Stat program is an online map that allows people to input their location and receive a comprehensive list of internet service providers in their area.
The website also allows people to research other types of internet access available in their area, as well as research availability and speeds down to the street level. The Economic and Social Research Institute sparked the project along with Connected Nation, a nonprofit corporation that deals primarily with expanding access and affordability of high-speed internet access.
“The assembly of data from major providers is key to a comprehensive portrait of statewide coverage,” said Morton O'Kelly, chair of the department of geography at Ohio State University. “As a geographer, I am immediately able to see significant regional contrasts, as well as gain a greater appreciation for the challenges facing providers as they attempt to complete coverage in lower-density rural areas.”
The project is the latest to be announced that will receive funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In recent weeks, Washington and Louisiana have also received extensive funding from the program to improve broadband access.
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