US Still Lags Far Behind in Broadband Availability and Usage

[Triana]

U.S. STILL LAGS FAR BEHIND

A Bush administration report, titled "A Nation Online: Entering the
Broadband Age," notes that the number of Americans using broadband Internet
connections doubled between 2001 and late 2003, but the country as a whole
still lags far behind many other nations, including South Korea, Taiwan and
Canada. The report also points to a widening gap between the digital haves
and have-nots. Only 25% of rural households have a broadband connection,
compared with 40% for urban areas, and only one-in-seven blacks and fewer
than one-in-eight Hispanics lives in a household with high-speed Internet
service. "It shows we continue to have a significant divide between urban
and rural America in the infrastructure of the 21st century," says Gregory
L. Rohde, a top telecom advisor during the Clinton administration.
Significant numbers of rural Americans complained there were no broadband
services available where they live. "This is lousy," says Harris Miller,
head of the Information Technology Association of America. "We're just not
keeping up with our competitors. We're not even keeping up with countries
we don't consider competitors. It's not acceptable." (AP 23 Nov 2004)

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20041123/D86HL5SG0.html

[juliagoolia]

1. This is exactly why we did not reach more of the bush voters n/t

[Buzz Clik]

2. No problem in the Clik household.

Five comps hardwired to broadband and three laptops.

[juliagoolia]

3. Im less than 20 miles from Austin TX the HIGH tech

center of Dell etc, and can't get anything but sat or isdn.

[Buzz Clik]

4. That's terrible!

One of the few negative aspects of living in the boonies.

[juliagoolia]

5. When I talked to my congressman

I told him that if he got broadband into the rural areas he would always win re-election!

But really if he does, we will be able to organize and inform more of the electorate. Not only that kids will be able to use it for study, and for classes, and it will enable people to telecommute and stay there to care for parents etc.