States Show Vast Differences in Fiber Availability: Report

A new report from Reviews.org shows that Rhode Island is the best state for fiber availability, with the technology available to 80.19% of households. Conversely, the worst state is Alaska, with the technology available to only 9.18% of households. The information is based on data contained in the Federal Communications Commission’s National Broadband Map. The report also notes that 46% of American homes have access to fiber, compared to 82% that have access to cable internet. With Alaska topping the “worst” list, it’s not surprising that rural areas are especially underserved when it comes to fiber access, and the high cost of deploying fiber networks poses a major roadblock to making it accessible nationwide. Other states in the bottom 10 for fiber availability were:

• New Mexico: 18.15%
• Arizona: 21.34%
• Michigan: 25.99%
• Nevada: 26.27%
• West Virginia: 28.87%
• Montana: 30.33%
• Wyoming: 30.62%
• Illinois: 30.85%
• Idaho: 31.50%