Rhode Islanders Have More Internet Access and Higher Speeds Than Any Other State

Sunday, May 16, 2021

Tim Wilkerson, President of the New England Cable and Telecommunications Association

 

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Every resident in Rhode Island deserves access to high-speed broadband Internet. That has always been true, but it has been magnified by the COVID-19 crisis. Thankfully, Rhode Island is the fastest and most-connected state in the country, thanks to the billions invested by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Rhode Island infrastructure, products and technology over the years.

In a recent study relying on consumer speed-test data, Rhode Island ranked first among the fifty states in average residential Internet speed at 129Mbps. Data from several sources, including the FCC, also ranks Rhode Island first for the availability of broadband Internet, which is accessible to more than 99 percent of the state’s residents. Simply put, Rhode Islanders have access to the best Internet infrastructure in the country. 

Because of this, the state’s primary area for broadband growth is in “adoption.” To help “bridge the digital divide,” private companies have provided low-cost Internet options for qualifying families. On May 12, Rhode Island broadband adoption rates will receive a strong boost from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the form of an Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB).

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Qualifying individuals and households can receive up to $50 per month toward their Internet subscription. This is a perfect example of the kind of public-private partnerships that have powered innovation and connectivity in New England for years. 

While the FCC and ISPs focus on ensuring every Rhode Islander is online, the state legislature is considering a proposal that would utilize useful taxpayer dollars and put them toward solving a problem that doesn’t exist. 

Two recently-introduced bills propose the establishment of a taxpayer-funded “broadband coordinator” and “broadband advisory council.” The stated goal is to help Rhode Island qualify for federal funding - however, this position is not necessary for the state to receive these federal dollars. A state broadband office is only mandated when seeking grants to support unserved areas, which make up less than one percent of Rhode Island’s businesses and residences. This unnecessary position will be a drain on the budget process well after the stated ‘need’ no longer exists and well after the federal funding is exhausted.

These bills will not impact adoption rates in Rhode Island. The EBB will, just as low-cost Internet programs have in the past. We can end the digital divide. The infrastructure, speeds and technology are already there. And public-private partnerships between the FCC and ISPs are showing the way.

 

Tim Wilkerson is President of the New England Cable and Telecommunications Association (NECTA), a five-state regional trade association representing substantially all private cable broadband providers in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.

 

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