You may have heard in the news today that Texas has been mapped by Connected Texas (http://connectedtx.org), a non-profit organization designated by the Texas Department of Agriculture to measure and map the availability and use of broadband in Texas. Attached is the press release. I often get this question - "What is the highest speed internet available in my area?" Many of you applied for e-rate this year, but were not sure if you could find faster service in your area. There is now a tool available to help you understand what services are available to your community.
Look for your county here: http://connectedtx.org/mapping/county_maps/ <http://connectedtx.org/mapping/county_maps/> For instance, here is McLennan County--> http://connectedtx.org/mapping/county_maps/mclennan/ <http://connectedtx.org/mapping/county_maps/mclennan/> Also available at this site is a speed test tool: http://speedtest.connectedtx.org/ This site will also soon include "adoption", in other words, how many households subscribe to broadband services, own computers, or have any access to the internet. This tool can help you understand what the needs are in your community, and if your library can even prove faster service. During the webinar I attended toady, sponsored by Connected Texas, I learned that in Texas 30% of households do not perceive a need for broadband or don't understand what it is About 30% don't have a computer at home 21% feel broadband is too expensive For more information on broadband in Texas, go to http://connectedtx.org Holly Gordon Technical Support & Network Systems Specialist Central Texas Library System, Inc. 1005 West 41st Street, Suite 100 Austin, TX 78756 512-583-0704 ext.15 www.ctls.net <http://www.ctls.net/>
CTX_BroadbandMapLaunch_Final.pdf
Description: CTX_BroadbandMapLaunch_Final.pdf
