Report: Up to 1.1 million Idahoans lack broadband internet access

Members of the broadband task force met in Boise on June 19, with the goal of presenting a report to Gov. Brad Little on Sept. 25 about the state of broadband internet access in Idaho and with recommendations to improve it.

Following up on a promise made during his first State of the State speech on January, Little created the broadband task force through executive order in May. The committee has almost 40 members, including legislators, state officials, tribal members and a variety of computer and networking vendors. It is scheduled to meet monthly around the state through the summer.

By most reports, Idaho ranks near the bottom in broadband internet access nationwide. Attendees learned that Idaho was the fourth-slowest state, 51^st in internet speed and 37^th in internet connectivity, while Boise was the 95th slowest city. One ranking found Idaho sixth in internet access, but that report has been disputed.

Part of the problem is that nobody’s really sure about where Idaho has – and lacks – broadband internet access. While the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) produces a map of broadband internet access, critics say the report isn’t granular enough, particularly in rural areas, as it is based on census tracts. If any part of the tract has broadband internet access, the entire tract is considered to be served.

“Mapping is a genuine challenge around the country for many reasons, and one charge from Gov. Little is to understand what is available where,” said committee member Mike Kennedy, president of Intermax Networks, a Coeur d’Alene-based provider of internet service in North Idaho. “There has always been debate on how accurate the FCC reporting is, and what the private sector has available to fill in the gaps.”

According to one such report, 201 Idaho zip codes have at least one provider offering broadband internet access, while 44 zip codes do not. In that report, from broadbandnow.com, 118,265 Idahoans live in zip codes with just one broadband internet provider, 1,123,859 live in zip codes with two to four broadband internet providers and 256,374 Idahoans live in zip codes with more than five broadband internet providers. Six Idaho counties— Adams, Camas, Clearwater, Idaho, Nez Perce, and Shoshone — have less than a 25% access to broadband internet, while 225,370 Idahoans live in counties with less than 50% zip code average access to broadband internet.

One panel at the recent broadband meeting, with representatives from Idaho businesses, told committee members what they had to go through to get broadband internet service in different parts of the state, particularly rural areas.

“I thought it was effective to hear directly the challenges and realities of economic development (or lack thereof) in areas where broadband is lacking the most: rural Idaho,” said Kennedy. “HP, Idaho Forest Group, Simplot, and Jackson’s Food Stores gave a reality check on what they have to do to get broadband and where their companies could be if it were more available.”

Microsoft has taken the lead on developing what is hoped to be a more accurate map, based on where people are actually using broadband internet as opposed to where vendors say it is available. For example, according to FCC results, only 190,000 Idahoans lack access to broadband internet. But according to Microsoft data, based on how people download Windows updates, 1.1 million Idahoans don’t use the internet at broadband speeds, said Michael Mattmiller, director of government affairs for Microsoft and a former chief technology officer for the city of Seattle.

The next broadband task force meeting is scheduled for July 17 in Twin Falls, where the committee will hear presentations about state broadband internet programs, learn about funding sources and begin discussing recommendations.

“There is diversity of thought and perspectives in the group, and I would certainly anticipate more robust discussion and debate on how the state government and the Legislature can assist in this process of moving the state forward on broadband,” Kennedy said.