Idaho, U.S. lag in broadband

We dropped again.

The U.S. fell two spots, from 25th worldwide in 2009 to 27th in 2011, for high-speed (broadband) Internet penetration per household, according to a quarterly bandwidth report. We rank much lower when you factor in average cost. Tiny Qatar and Liechtenstein lead the globe. Who has the fastest growth rate for high speed Internet? Serbia, at 68 percent. The U.S. ranks 78th, with 5.7 percent growth.

Why does it matter? Beyond socializing and recreation the Internet is vital to economic growth and to a greater extent each year, education and health care. An FCC study on broadband Internet use released in 2010 showed a gap of 17 percent less for rural households (50 percent have broadband) by comparison to urban areas (67 percent). Access and use also directly correlated with income and education level, whether rural or urban. That means less productivity and competitiveness for businesses and individuals. The FCC reported one in 10 rural residents without broadband say it's not available where they live.

For Idaho's sparse and rural population, access is especially slow. A 2011 FCC report shows that more than 231,700 Idahoans don't have broadband service where they live. One third of Americans who could have broadband choose not to. Most of those cited monthly cost, which in 2010 averaged $47.32 nationally according to Net Index statistics, or about $5.06 each Mb/s (megabyte per second). In Idaho the average price is $8.80 Mb/s. The federal Rural Utilities Service says Idaho has some of the greatest disparity in urban versus rural high-speed access. That certainly has generated attention; more than 11 federally funded projects (some private-public partnerships) are under way to improve it, as are state-driven initiatives, such as LinkIdaho.

In some areas here it can take three times as long to download as it does in other states. According to a September New York Times article, the average user in Idaho downloads a music file in 9.42 seconds; in Rhode Island (which ranks highest for speed) it takes 3.36 seconds. In the fastest U.S. city - Andover, Mass. - it takes one second.

While time for a song hardly seems important, when the download is a business document, customer order, coursework for an online student, or crucial medical records in an emergency room, speed is essential. Still, those who can pay for access, even in central, rural Idaho, can get it. These figures are averages; call centers and other users who pay a premium by comparison to what's available for less elsewhere report they can meet their needs. The Technology Policy Institute reported in December that residential prices for broadband have remained stable in the U.S. for the past three years, while prices have decreased by as much as 40 percent in other developed nations. Why is not easy to answer; elements such as materials and maintenance, location, labor, and policy issues vary with time and geography.

High-speed Internet is an element of infrastructure, as important as the spread of electricity in the 1930s. It drives access to information, business and income potential (jobs are increasingly advertised online), and family and social communications. Bringing more broadband to rural areas is a great step, but as the FCC researchers emphasized, affordability is just as important to success in the 21st century. Cellular and satellites are cable alternatives for high-speed Internet, but costs remain higher than cable, and satellite delays can be a problem.

Things aren't extreme - innovation is ongoing even if access isn't uniform or complete. Technology and costs are slowly improving, but the U.S. shouldn't be so far outpaced. Any engineers out there looking for a project?

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Email sholehjo@hotmail.com