Officials hope map detailing high-speed Internet access will help bring service to rural Texas

The first map detailing high-speed Internet access around the state will highlight unserved rural areas in hopes of bringing service to those communities, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples said Wednesday.

The interactive map unveiled during an online news conference allows computer users to pinpoint availability even down to a specific rural home. Staples says the tool could lead service providers to target future investment. Although the map shows 96 percent of Texas households have access to high-speed, or broadband, Internet service, Staples said that doesn't mean much to the roughly 250,000 homes without it. The map allows individuals and businesses to search specific areas to see whether broadband access exists and, if so, what services are available. The map features color-coded overlays representing varieties of wired and wireless access, plus areas without any of those services. It also brings up links to providers, which officials say will allow customers to compare prices. Connected Texas, the nonprofit that did the mapping for the Texas Department of Agriculture, will try to identify areas of strong demand that might persuade providers to move in, said Chief Executive Brian Mefford.

The $3 million mapping project was funded through federal stimulus money.