A number of us might think that being able to access the Internet with high download speeds is an easy task. After all, both Verizon and Comcast have boosted their top download speeds up to 300 and 305 Mbps, respectively. More recently, Google announced that Kansas City residents will soon be able to purchase access to a 1 Gbps download and upload Internet service.
However, the Federal Communications Commission says there are still a lot of people in the US that are unable to get that kind of fast access. The government agency"s eighth annual report claims that a whopping 19 million US citizen live in places where they cannot get Internet access speeds that are faster than 3 Mbps. About 14.5 million of that number live in rural areas, where it might be harder for phone and cable companies to build the necessary infrastructure needed for faster Internet access.
Even in those areas where faster Internet speeds are available, the report claims that only 40 percent of the people in those parts of the US actually sign up to use them. It"s more than possible that the Internet providers have prices that are simply too high for those people to consider using the faster speeds.
The FCC states that in its opinion, "these gaps are unlikely to close" without some kind of effort to expand broadband access to more people. It adds, "Because millions still lack access to or have not adopted broadband, the Report concludes broadband is not yet being deployed in a reasonable and timely fashion."
Source: FCC | Image via FCC