ATLANTA (AP) - Internet speeds in Georgia are far slower than what has been reported by the federal government, a newspaper reported.
An analysis of internet speed test results by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 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, the newspaper reported.
That’s far below the FCC’s estimate of 25 megabits per second.
Slower speed means websites take longer to load, and videos can be difficult to view, among other things.
Downloads are particularly slow in rural and some suburban areas of the state.
“I work from home, and it’s really slow. It takes a lot longer than it should,” said Sherry Sturgeon of Social Circle, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) east of Atlanta.
Sturgeon is a document specialist who uses the internet to research legal and property records. She said her internet provider told her husband it would cost $550 per month to run a business line to their home.
A state mapping project is expected to help determine how to expand internet availability in Georgia. That project is scheduled to be completed in about a year.
Georgia’s internet service mapping project will provide more details about where internet service is most needed, said Deana Perry, the state’s broadband director.
“Countless markets are routinely declared connected and competitive when they may not be,” Perry said. “The statewide map will be more granular.”
Georgia’s mapping project will show where internet investment is most needed, providing a clearer picture than federal maps, said Stephen Loftin of the Georgia Cable Association.
“I think the FCC recognizes that they perhaps paint with too broad of a brush,” Loftin said. “To ensure those public dollars are going to the right places, that’s why we need these efforts both at the federal level and at the state level.”
___
Information from: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, http://www.ajc.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.