Before fiber optics, copper cable
wire was the primary material used
to create an internet connection.
Today, there are more than
Editor’s note: In 2015, the FCC voted to change
the definition of broadband from connection
speeds of 4 Mbps to 25 Mbps and upload speeds
of 1 Mbp to 3 Mbps. Under the new standard,
approximately one-fifth of Americans are considered
lacking in access to “high-speed” internet.
44,000 miles of
copper cable
in West Virginia.
of West Virginians have
access to download
speeds greater than
10 Mbps
as of 2014.
This map shows the percentage of people in each state with
access to download speeds of 10 Mbps or greater. While West
Virginia falls at No. 49 in this ranking, the difference between
each state is very small, with West Virginia at 93.3 percent.
With the Earth’s circumference
of 24,901 miles, West Virginia’s
copper cable would almost
wrap around the Earth twice.
With the rise of online video content
companies and websites like Netflix,
Amazon Prime, Hulu and YouTube, it is
easier now than ever before to stream
movies, television shows and music.
With the low cost and limited commercial
interruptions in comparison to traditional
cable and satellite, streaming is accounting
for more and more internet traffic.
99.9%
594.8
100%
9,856.5
99.3%
283.9
99.4%
282.3
96.5%
109.9
99.1% 153.9
93.3%
77.1 98.5%
202.6
99.1% 196.1
People with access to download
speeds of 10 Mbps or greater
Population density of people per square mile
2009
29.5%
2016
71%
Audio and video streaming now account for 71%
of evening traffic on North American fixed access
networks. In 2016, Netflix represented 35.2%
of traffic on North American fixed networks.
According to data from the 2010 U.S. Census,
West Virginia had a population of 1,852,994
with a population density of 77.1 people
per square mile. Because the Mountain
State’s people are so spread out over a rough
terrain, it makes building out the last legs of
a broadband network more expensive, more
difficult and less attractive to providers.
Sources: Andy Malinoski/Frontier Communications, U.S. Census
Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, Sandvine’s 2011 Global
Internet Phenomena Report and 2014 National Broadband Map
www.wvexecutive.com
summer 2016
49