SPECIAL REPORT: Ledger looks at broadband
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Federal Communication Commission has approved $201million in funding over the next 10 years to expand broadband service to 66,301 unserved houses and businesses in 61 Oklahoma counties.
Oklahoma ranks 47th in the nation for broadband access. In the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank’s seven-state region (Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, western Missouri, and northern New Mexico), Oklahoma has the most underserved broadband population: nearly one-third of the state’s residents.
The Kansas City branch of the Federal Reserve reports that approximately one in three Oklahomans have fewer than two providers from which to choose. However, average internet speed in Oklahoma is near the top of the seven states in the KC Federal Reserve’s region.
Policymakers contend that poor access to broadband hampers educational progress, impedes access to health care and stifles economic development. The FCC’s allocation of funding to Oklahoma is part of a nationwide authorization for more than $4.9 billion in support over the next decade for more than 455,000 homes and businesses served by 171 carriers in 39 states and American Samoa, including 44,243 locations on tribal lands.
In return for the financial support, the carriers must maintain, improve and expand broadband throughout their service areas. They will be required to provide service of at least 25 Megabits per second downstream and 3 Mbps upstream. The first interim deployment obligation occurs in 2022.
“High-speed internet provides access to opportunity in the 21st century, and the FCC’s top priority is closing the digital divide so that all Ameri- cans can fully participate in our connected society,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “I am pleased that the Commission is moving quickly to authorize these funds to close the digital divide in rural Oklahoma and other states.”