Not all local residents have broadband access

Bedford County lags behind some of its neighbors to the north and east in access to broadband Internet, according to a map published by the Nashville-based non-profit Connected Tennessee.

Broadband refers to high-speed Internet service, usually meaning either cable internet (provided by cable TV companies like Charter Communications) or DSL (provided by telephone companies like BellSouth / AT&T). The map shows areas where broadband access is available, not necessarily how many people are taking advantage of it.

Connected Tennessee, which works to accelerate technology use throughout Tennessee, has released the state's first broadband inventory map showing current levels of high-speed Internet availability across the state.

As web sites become more and more complex, and as more video content makes its way onto the web, many Internet users, businesses and individuals alike, have discovered that the dial-up Internet connections which were standard just a few years ago no longer sufficient. But cable Internet is only available in areas where cable TV systems have upgraded their service lines, and DSL is only available within a specific distance of the nearest telephone exchange. That leaves many rural residents without an affordable way to access broadband. There are satellite-based broadband services which will work anywhere, but they cost more and are less flexible.

The broadband analysis, released Friday at a meeting of the Tennessee Broadband Task Force in Nashville, ties in with Gov. Phil Bredesen's stated goal of every Tennessean realizing the benefits of technology, from improved healthcare to better education. Connected Tennessee is a public/private partnership working with a number of state agencies and the private sector to implement Bredesen's "Trail to Innovation," a statewide program aimed at making Tennessee a leader in technology acceleration efforts.

"This data is the first step toward moving Tennessee forward with a common sense broadband strategy," said the governor in a news release. "Increasingly, we're being told that broadband access is part of the basic infrastructure, like highways and utility lines. If we want to provide opportunities for growth and higher skilled, better paying jobs in all 95 counties, especially in rural counties, we need the data compiled by Connected Tennessee in order to attract those types of jobs."

According to Connected Tennessee's research, between 86 percent and 90 percent of Tennessee households have access to broadband, also called high-speed Internet. The group's survey results also show that 43 percent of households actually use broadband service and 71 percent of households own a computer.

Tennessee is one of the only states in the nation to have a sophisticated broadband inventory map that shows where broadband service exists and where it is not yet available, according to Connected Tennessee. The map will help guide Internet providers to areas with a need for service. Ultimately, the goal is to increase Internet availability and use across the state.

Tennessee is taking an approach similar to a program implemented by the national non-profit Connected Nation in Kentucky. That program reached nearly 100 percent broadband coverage statewide within a three year period. Both the Tennessee and Kentucky programs are subsidiaries, of Connected Nation whose goals include technology access and literacy.

"By adopting the Task Force recommendation and establishing Connected Tennessee, Gov. Phil Bredesen has accomplished in two months what would have taken years to accomplish otherwise," said Task Force member Pat Miller, a Tennessee Regulatory Authority director. "Tennessee now has the data and a comprehensive plan to make Tennessee a leader in broadband deployment."

The Tennessee Broadband Task Force is chaired by State Sen. Roy Herron and State Rep. Mark Maddox, both Democrats from Dresden, and includes representatives from the telecommunications industry and various state agencies. The Task Force was established to study the challenges related to providing broadband to all Tennesseans.

According to the Task Force report issued in January, "Broadband expansion is to the 21st century what rural electrification was to the 20th century … high-speed Internet access … is critically important to Tennessee's future, especially in jobs, education and healthcare."

Connected Tennessee will work in partnership with telecommunications providers, information technology companies, public agencies, business leaders, community leaders, researchers and universities in an effort to meet five primary goals, which include:

* Affordable broadband availability for all Tennessee;

* Dramatically improved use of computers and the Internet by all Tennesseans;

* "eCommunity Leadership Teams" formed in every county -- local leaders who assemble to develop and implement technology growth strategies for local government, business and industry, education, healthcare, agriculture, libraries, tourism and community-based organizations;

* A policy and regulatory framework that encourages continued investment in communications and information technologies year after year; and

* A meaningful use of the Internet among all Tennessee communities, to improve citizen services and promote economic development through e-government, virtual education and online healthcare.

For more information about, Connected Tennessee and its report, go to www.connectedtn.org.