Speed DOES matter

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) have been strong supporters of universal Internet access in the United States. These last two years, they have taken that message online, especially in an effort to try to demonstrate what the true picture is of the speeds that people have to deal with across our land.

According to the CWA, between May 2007 and May 2008, over 230,000 people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have found their Web site to take the Internet speed test and to measure how fast their computers can upload and download data. Unfortunately, the results show how far the United States lags other countries in speeds. And that’s not good…

But why should we care? Speed matters because it defines the applications that you can effectively run on the Internet from your home, business, government or institution. The United States – the very country that invented the Internet – have now fallen to a world rank of 15th in the percent of the population subscribing to broadband. This is according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development survey (OECD). Canada, France, and South Korea all have faster Internet connections. In Japan you can download an entire movie or educational course in two minutes, but it could take you two hours or more in the United States. And that’s if you’re lucky. And as for cost? Citizens in Japan often pay the same as we do and sometimes lower for their Internet connections of profoundly faster speed.

Take the CWA’s speed test and test your computer access and download speeds. Last year, the United States had a median download speed of 2.35 Mbps. North Carolina had a median download speed of 2.93 Mbps. On page 40 of the CWA August 2008 Speed Matters Report, you can find the page for North Carolina. Our median upload speed is 369 kbps. So in that regard, our ranking among the states is 11th, up from 16th in 2007.

Is the Internet Immune to an Economic Downturn?

Our economy has been on a real rollercoaster ride this year. Most every day brings new stories of bank failures. Stock market troubles. Mortgages gone wild. Fluctuating oil prices. The National Debt that even the famous Times Square “counter” can’t keep up with. And then there’s the $700 billion bailout (ahem…rescue plan). Add to this volatile mix, pundits consulting their crystal balls, comparing our current economic crisis to the Great Depression, and telling us the obvious – that the institutions we’ve traditionally trusted have failed us. Our domestic woes are now impacting the world and, oh by the way, we might be in a recession. Bad news withstanding, the Internet seems to be thriving. And no wonder…

According to a May 2008 survey by Pew, 73 percent of American adults are Internet users. And in this age of Google, iTunes, eBay and cars.com, users are spending money, and lots of it. Forrester Research shows online sales, excluding travel, reached $175 billion in 2007. And Forrester expects the figure to hit $204 billion this year, despite the economic slump.

Online content consumption is also on the rise. In June 2008, Cisco reported global Internet traffic will grow at a compound annual rate of 46 percent from 2007 to 2012. And the company believes Internet videos will account for 50 percent of consumer traffic in 2012.

But, back to the question of whether the Internet is immune to an economic downturn. The Internet is certainly well-insulated because of high demand for its offerings and affordable delivery. Likewise, its worldwide audience, innovation-friendly environment, and seemingly unlimited expansion potential offer some additional warm-and-fuzzy buffers. On the other hand, though, Internet content and usage is influenced by our needs and wants, and our relationship to the prevailing economy shapes those needs and wants. So, can there really be a definitive yes or no answer to the question? What do you think?

Is e-rate working for North Carolina schools and libraries?

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 expanded the obligation of telecommunications providers to allow discounted services to the nation's schools and libraries. This initiative became known as the e-rate (Education Rate) program, administered by the Schools and Libraries Division of the Universal Service Administrative Company. The e-rate program funds technology discounts to K-12 schools, and amounts nationally to approximately $2.5 billion each year.

All libraries and K-12 schools are eligible for discounts at a minimum of 20 percent and up to a maximum of 90 percent, based on the school’s participation in the National School Lunch Program. Applicants are also required to have a state-approved technology plan before they can receive discounted services through e-rate.

But even with the help of e-rate funds, many schools and libraries struggle to pay for vital telecommunications services. So to help, the N.C. General Assembly in 2007 funded a $12 million initiative to pay the balance (amount not covered by e-rate) of the cost to connect schools. In the 2008 session, legislators stepped up again to grant an additional $10 million.

North Carolina is in the process of upgrading services to Local Education Agencies (LEA) and to each of the associated schools with adequate bandwidth to support their needs. The majority of North Carolina’s schools and LEAs are operating at 100 Mbps but many are connected at speeds far slower than this. The installation will be complete this year with the exception of the schools still under independent contract for this service, and even those will be converted at the end of their next contract.

With funding from the e-rate program, the N.C. General Assembly and Golden LEAF, each school will have resources to participate in programs like Virtual School, Learn and Earn and distance education through interactive video.

This program has greatly enhanced educational capabilities of participating schools by allowing high-speed connections not only to the Internet, but also to state’s computing systems. So to answer our own question – YES – the program seems to be working…