Texas Broadband Summit next week in Dallas to address broadband access
Explore the numbers
Access My ConnectView
Austin, Texas – New data unveiled today by Connected Texas show that the broadband availability in Texas is continuing to rise, with 97.08% of Texans now having access to fixed broadband service of at least 768 Kbps download and 200 Kbps upload, up slightly from 96.76% last October. This leaves approximately 260,000 Texas households (180,000 rural) that are unserved by non-mobile basic broadband service. Broadband access and adoption in Texas are the focus of the state’s very first Broadband Summit taking place on Tuesday in Dallas.
“We are looking forward to an engaging and action-oriented summit next week. This analysis provides a solid foundation for informed planning and discussions as public and private stakeholders work toward greater broadband access,” said Connected Texas Executive Director Don Shirley.
The new access tables and broadband maps are online and can be accessed under the learn tab on the Connected Texas website.
Among the findings of the new broadband availability research are:
- 93.07% of Texas households can access broadband service, including mobile wireless broadband, at advertised speeds of 6 Mbps download/1.5 Mbps upload, meaning that 618,434 households are in areas that may be eligible for Universal Service Fund broadband deployment subsidies.
- 86.69% of Texas households can access fixed broadband service at speeds of at least 10 Mbps download/1.5 Mbps upload.
- 93.77% of rural households in Texas have access to fixed broadband service.
- 23.58% of Texas households have access to fixed broadband speeds of at least 100 Mbps download/1.5 Mbps upload. In October 2011, only 17.13% of households in Texas had access to these broadband speeds.
- Basic broadband is available to 97.08% of Texas households, up from 96.76% last October, leaving 260,419 Texas households unable to connect to basic, non-mobile, high-speed Internet.
- 88.72% of Texas households have the ability to choose broadband service from two or more non-mobile broadband providers.
Note: The data in this report are subject to data validation.
In addition to a keynote address by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples and two interactive panel discussions, attendees at next week’s Connected Texas Broadband Summit will get a detailed look at the new broadband mapping tool called My ConnectViewTM.
My ConnectView, developed by Connected Nation, the parent organization of Connected Texas, replaces the previous mapping tool and is faster and easier to use; features more interactive data layers and additional tools to explore data; and allows users to e-mail, print, and send feedback on custom maps.
“My ConnectView is rich in information that will help our state make smart decisions on broadband expansion,” said Shirley. “The maps and data layers offer answers for economic development. Broadband providers, businesses, and community leaders can use the free resource to make decisions like where to build out new services and how to create cost-effective business solutions. But it’s a great resource for everyone. The general public can use My ConnectView to find which broadband services are available at their address.”
By offering unprecedented views of unserved and underserved areas of Texas, My ConnectView will help drive economic development planning centered around broadband technology expansion efforts in Texas.
This release reflects Connected Texas’ 5th round of broadband data updates to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The data, gathered as part of the State Broadband Initiative program, is used to populate the National Broadband Map.
Connected Texas is urging citizens and providers to use the tool to help us verify the information presented and to contact staff if they can't get access to broadband. Connected Texas uses such feedback to ensure the maps are accurate and to reach out to providers and community leaders to promote broadband expansion into unserved and underserved areas of Texas.
For more information, or to register now for the free Texas Broadband Summit taking place on Tuesday, June 5 in Dallas, go to http://www.connectedtx.org/broadband-summit. And for more information on the Connected Texas initiative, please contact Shirley at dshirley@connectedtx.org or 512-660-2006.