Seacoastonline.com has reported that New Hampshire ranks eighth in the nation for Internet access speed. Our median download speed is 2.7 mbps, compared to the US median of 1.9 mbps.
That sounds pretty good, but compare that to the other countries mentioned in the article:
- Japan: 61 mbps
- South Korea: 45 mbps
- France: 17 mbps
- Canada: 7 mbps
Pretty sad, huh? While I’d like to congratulate NH for this ranking, the truth is we’re near the top of a pretty sad list.
The truth is, NH, like the US in general, is suffering a split identity when it comes to Internet access. Like other well-populated areas in the country, Southern NH is doing fairly well. We often have a number of choices when it comes to accessing the Internet. I love my Verizon FiOS service, but if Verizon leaves NH, I can (hopefully) go with something similar from FairPoint or switch my voice and data plans to the cable company.
However, you don’t have to go to far north of the MA border to find people who don’t have any broadband options. Often, the only choice is dial-up. This may just be an inconvenience right now. After all, being able to view YouTube videos easily certainly isn’t high on the list of life’s necessities. But as businesses push more and more services online, reliable and fast Internet access will become less of a convenience and more of a requirement. And right now, there’s very little sign of improvement any time soon.
But there is some good news. New Hampshire did score well compared to the other New England states mentioned:
- Massachusetts (5th): 3.0 mbps
- Vermont (21st): 2.0 mbps
- Maine (35th): 1.5 mbps
To learn more about the importance of Internet access speeds and what you can do to help urge our government, state and federal, to fix the situation, please visit speedmatters.org.