Significant portions of city neighborhoods in Massachusetts lack internet access

Massachusetts state officials have spent years expanding broadband access in rural communities. Now, their focus needs to turn to urban neighborhoods. That’s the major takeaway from a new report funded by the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership and researched in collaboration with local think tank MassINC. The report underscores how large portions of cities such as Lawrence and Fall River (MA) still lack adequate broadband access — something that the Competitive Partnership members, some of the state’s most prominent corporate chief executives, say should be considered an essential utility. The report combines two sets of data: previously reported Census figures that show the number of homes without Internet service and newly reported figures from Microsoft and analyzed by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council showing the number of households that lack broadband-level speeds. Taken together, these numbers tell a startling story in many cities: 59 percent of homes in Chelsea lack adequate broadband service, for example, and 56 percent in Fall River. The numbers are also high in Springfield (54 percent)and Lawrence (50 percent), as well as Salem, New Bedford, and Pittsfield (all 48 percent). Boston is at 43 percent, compared with the state average of 34 percent. While rural broadband efforts have focused on stringing wires through remote communities, urban broadband access can be a more complex issue. Many households in these cities have broadband lines running on their streets, but the report notes they might have inadequate wiring inside buildings, too many users on the same connection, or no ability to pay for a high-speed plan.