Fast Internet Connections a Necessity

We’ve said it several times before, but it bears repeating: Widespread broadband Internet access is crucial to the economic future of Central Virginia, the commonwealth of Virginia and the United States.

A recent Speed Matters report from the Communications Workers of America only underscores that importance.

The data in the report comes from Internet users taking a speed test at the CWA’s Speed Matters Web site; according to the report, 901 Central Virginians took the test between May 2008 and May 2009.

The important numbers — download and upload speeds — indicate the speed with which files and information can be pulled down to the user and sent to others. The final numbers are in, and Central Virginia flunked, with rates far below Danville, Roanoke and Richmond.

Virginia’s average download speed was 7.9 mbps; the average in Central Virginia was less than half that at 3 mbps. The U.S. average is 5.1 mbps; by way of comparison, South Korea clocks in at more than 20 mbps.

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And we’re not talking about gaming with your buds in Japan or watching a baseball game in real time on your computer.

We’re talking about economic possibilities of almost unlimited potential.

A perfect example is the story of TRAX International, reported earlier this week in The News & Advance.

TRAX, an engineering and technical services provider to commercial, industrial and government customers, wanted to combine three Lynchburg-area offices into one site. They settled on the old General Electric facility on Fort Avenue, but it was lacking one key element: a super-fast Internet connection.

Only access to a fiber-optic network could provide TRAX the download and upload speeds its engineers needed at the Lynchburg data center. And the only fiber-optic network in the region belongs to the City of Lynchburg, managed by the Waynesboro-based communications firm nTelos.

To keep a company at the forefront of the new information economy here in Central Virginia, the Lynchburg Economic Development Authority ponied up more than $27,000 to link TRAX to the city’s network. It’s an investment that makes infinite sense.

While it is important for local governments to work with businesses to meet their needs for high-speed Internet access, it’s also important for local leaders to realize that high-speed access for private citizens is equally as important. An engineer or business executive needs to be connected to his office at home, as well.

Bryan David, director of the Region 2000 Economic Development Council, told The News & Advance there are still large portions of Central Virginia that have no Internet access other than dialup or hit-and-miss satellite.

For the future economic vitality of the region (not to mention the state or nation), that can’t continue.

One option David and Region 2000 are pursuing with local governments are broadband authorities to work on public-private partnerships to bring online unserved or underserved localities. Amherst and Bedford counties are at the forefront of this move locally.

Government, at all levels, needs to recognize that super-fast Internet connections are key to economic growth in the 21st century. Making such connections a reality is as important today as bringing electricity to rural America was in the 1930s.

If we, as a society, don’t step up to this challenge, we’ll be destined to be second-rate economically.