I know I must sound like a broken record around our broadband speeds in the county. But I got some new data recently. My boss polled my co-workers and me to find out our ISP speeds based on speedtest.net. Granted, they are in cities, but the difference was appalling to me.

Results:

Coworker A - 15.67 mg download, 7.21mg upload.

Coworker B - 17.33 mg download, 1.46 mg upload

Coworker C - 25.56 mg download, 23.04 mg upload

Coworker D - 9.03 mg download, 4.83 mg upload

Coworker E - 36.14 mg download, 33.71 mg upload

My results: 1.3 mg download, 0.42 upload

The most STI will offer is 6 mg download, 1 mg upload. So even the fastest service STI offers is slower – significantly – than other areas. And they can’t upgrade me to the 6 mg service due to their equipment and my distance from it. They say they will be upgrading equipment “in the future” but gave me no time period.

We hear nothing from STI about what they are going to do to upgrade equipment in Mariposa. I heard some rumors of a 10 mg backbone being planned for the area, but as you can see from my coworkers, that would still put us lower than other places. I have been on 1.5 mg download since I moved here 5 years ago. The technology world is changing. STI isn’t.

I understand we are rural and don’t have the money of more populated areas. But has STI applied for any TARP money? Or any grants related to rural broadband infrastructure? I believe President Obama recently announced yet another initiative related to it. Is STI working on it? Are our supervisors working with STI on a solution?

This is hurting Mariposa. It’s hurting our kids. It will keep technology workers from moving here, and it hurts businesses who need the internet. My boss right now is pressuring me to get higher speeds. STI has said no, so what options do I have? To move to another town? To get an office in town? (I’m not sure my boss will be happy with that expense). I need my job. My job needs faster internet.

So what is being done? And why can’t we find out?

Anne Brock