Mark Niesse
Plan approved to spend Georgia tax money on rural internet lines
Georgia recently finalized a plan to spend the public’s money on subsidies for high-speed internet lines, laying the foundation for broadband expansion in rural areas. Representatives for some internet providers criticized the state’s subsidy rules as being overly burdensome. They also worried that government funding might not go to areas where it’s most needed.
Internet far slower in Georgia than reported
No matter where you live in Georgia, internet speeds are almost certainly slower than the federal government says they are. An analysis of Georgia speed test results found that internet speeds were about one-fourth as fast as those reported by the Federal Communications Commission. Internet speeds averaged about 6.3 megabits per second in Georgia from June to December 2017, far below the FCC’s estimate of 25 megabits per second. The speed tests show the extent of internet deficiencies long before Georgia’s government completes its effort to map online access at every location in the state.