Western Massachusetts is hoping to be awarded $100 million during the first round broadband stimulus funds. A Boston Globe editorial called broadband access a "crucial component of economic development" in a region that has been passed over for public investment in the past. The Globe pointed out the ways in which high-speed Internet access could act as an economic booster shot. Read More »
Speed Matters released the third annual report on Internet Speeds in America - and U.S. connection speeds have not improved significantly in the past year. The results of the report are based on the last-mile connection speed of over 413,000 Internet users who took the online test between May 2008 and May 2009. The data also confirms that where a customer lives is a good indicator of Internet connection speed. With some exceptions, if you live in a Northeastern or Mid-Atlantic state, you are likely to have good high-speed Internet options. Read More »
This past Tuesday, Massachusetts governor, Deval Patrick, announced the creation of a 4.56 mile fiber optic conduit that will stretch along a section of Interstate 95 up toward the Vermont border. This critical section of Internet infrastructure will complete a high speed information network that spans more than 50 miles from Connecticut to Vermont. The benefits of, quite literally, bridging this digital divide, are nearly endless. Read More »
Although the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) mandated in President Obama's stimulus package has only just completed initial planning stages, states in New England are eagerly planning for projects to make use of the federal dollars. In Massachusetts, over one hundred companies have expressed interest in applying for funds and Gov. Patrick appointed a director of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute. In Connecticut, state officials are aiming to enhance municipal and public safety networks. Read More »
On April 27, Governor Deval Patrick (D-MA) filed legislation in an attempt to prepare the Commonwealth's bid for federal stimulus funds. The proposed legislation makes changes to the current Massachusetts laws in order to comply with the strict provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Read More »
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a $6.9 million pilot grant to public libraries in seven states today to improve the speed of Internet connections. Read More »
New Jersey has the best residential broadband adoption according to the Information Technology Innovation Fund's (ITIF) 2008 State New Economy Index report. Read More »
Speed Matters has released our second Read More »
Massachusetts is the land of clam chowder, obsessive sports fans, and baked beans. Soon, thanks to a bill introduced by Gov. Deval Patrick and passed by the state legislature, affordable high-speed Internet for all Bay Staters can be added to that list. Read More »
Recently the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) unanimously passed a resolution for high speed Internet deployment on a national level, calling on the Bush Administration, the U.S. Congress and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to work together to develop a policy that makes high speed Internet access a national priority. Read More »
