Blog » NTCA Survey: rural broadband gaining ground

Competitive high speed internet access is on the rise in rural communities according to a National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA) survey.

The survey of telecommunications members and small rural communications providers revealed that:

Nearly three-quarters (73%) of rural telco respondents with a fiber deployment strategy intend to offer FTTN (fiber to the node) to more than 75% of their customer base by 2011. Fifty-five percent plan to offer FTTH (fiber to the home) to more than half their customers in that same time frame--more than doubled from just 26% last year.

Broadband speeds increased significantly with 53% of service providers offering between 3 and 6 Mbps (up from 46% last year); 39% of ISPs now offer speeds in excess of 6 Mbps (up from 25% one year ago).

Nearly all of the service providers cited fiber deployment costs (rough terrain, distance, low customer density) as the biggest obstacle to broadband expansion in rural areas.

Links:

NTCA 2009 Broadband Survey Report (NTCA)

NCTA: Rural telcos turning to FTTH, FTTN for broadband (Lightwave)

Category: Rural Communities, High Speed, Digital Divide