Networks may be global, but measurement must be local

Pew Internet Life just published a paper on measuring broadband access in the US. Apparently in June 2006, Pew, the University of Texas at Austin, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology gathered academics, state and federal officials from data-collection agencies, and staff from Capitol Hill to consider how to improve data collection for broadband.

Pew just released the proceeding from that meeting – the main theme was “networks may be global, but measurement must be local.”

Their findings match well with Senator Daniel Inouye’s Broadband Data Improvement Act: broadband must be defined as faster than 200 Kilobits per second and they should start tracking access by 9 digit zip code areas – which would help better pinpoint access.

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About Ann Treacy

Librarian who follows rural broadband in MN and good uses of new technology (blandinonbroadband.org), hosts a radio show on MN music (mostlyminnesota.com), supports people experiencing homelessness in Minnesota (elimstrongtowershelters.org) and helps with social justice issues through Women’s March MN.

8 thoughts on “Networks may be global, but measurement must be local

  1. Ann just a small comment ,why can they not just ask who has broadband access on there tax forms.Amazingly every household fills one out and its an easy answer

  2. Ann after a couple of meetings coming up i will write to the blog about public safety and convergence .In todays era its very important to have that service in place .

  3. But who tells the truth on those things? Sorry I couldn’t resist writing that. 🙂

    I think it’s a good idea – but I think that many people don’t know if they have broadband. I know that was an issue with some of the surveys out of Mankato. The phone surveys would ask people if they had broadband and many people didn’t know. So they defaulted to asking if the Internet was “always on” and assumed it is was, then it was broadband. In fairness you could ask me anything about my car and I’d get it wrong – so I don’t fault the folks who don’t know.

    Asking on the tax forms would give us a better idea of not asking at all – and we could probably figure out the margin of error or through mapping could filter out anomalies.

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