Texas toasts the rest of the country in growth of broadband availability
High-speed Internet is rolling out eight times faster in Texas than the in the rest of the country, thanks in part to increased competition among broadband providers.
A new study, commissioned by the Fiber to the Home Council (FTTH), has found that a Texas State-Issued Video Franchise Bill, enacted in September of 2005, is accelerating broadband deployment plans.
The Video Franchise Bill changes the wait time for franchising broadband service from up to a year and a half to a little more than two weeks.
This 17.5 month reduction in time spent waiting around for permission to franchise service out to Texans has encouraged companies to actually get it out there.
Along with the release of the study, FTTH Council President, Joe Savage, said:
“We now have proof that once you remove these barriers to entry, FTTH network deployments greatly accelerate, bringing consumers competition for their broadband … with virtually unlimited optical fiber bandwidth. This is good news for the citizens of Texas and for those in other states that have streamlined their video franchising processes.”
As of December 2006, over 350,000 homes in Texas had access to this service. For comparison, less than two years earlier in September of 2005, a little less than 345,000 homes in the entire country had access to this service.
CWA members oppose AT&T’s attempts to stop serving rural and low-income communities in California
CWA urges FCC to deny industry attempts to loosen pole attachment standards
CWA District 6 reaches agreement with AT&T Mobility