Business

Georgia Mixed When it Comes to So-Called “Digital Divide.”

February 21st, 2012

By Jim Burress

Atlanta, GA – Georgia's average Internet connectivity speed is higher than the national average but still slow compared to population centers in the Northeast and the West.

Metro Atlanta's Internet speeds are relatively fast, but the rest of Georgia lags behind, says Annie Hill of the Communications Workers of America, the organization behind the study.

“The states that have the highest averages are states that are very densely populated,” says Hill. “And from a business standpoint, that tends to be where different businesses telecommunications companies will make their investment.”

She says those telecom companies invest less in rural areas because fewer people will purchase the services. That, in turn, increases the so-called “digital divide” limiting everything from medical monitoring to distance learning.

Jim Burress, WABE News.

To see the study's results, click here.