lunes, 14 de noviembre de 2011

U.S. officlal gives thumbs up to PR broadband projects

By Stefan Antonmattei | Puerto Rico Daily Sun

A key U.S. government official in charge of implementing federal broadband projects throughout the nation said she was pleased with the three local projects started last year.

Puerto Rico broadband coverage has increased to 50 percent of the island’s surface and 30 percent of the island’s 1.2 million homes are connected to this service, placing the island ahead of many Caribbean and Latin American countries but well behind the U.S. national average.

Broadband penetration in the U.S. covers 90 percent of the country, where 65 percent of the houses have an Internet connection. Broadband is measured at 3 megabits per second or more. Two-thirds of U.S. households have broadband connectivity versus one-third on the island.

Three local Internet projects funded with federal money have received the approval of its management and execution — projects that are assisting the growth of Internet penetration in Puerto Rico. Critical Hub Networks received $25.7 million; INTECO received $12 million; and the governor’s office $2.5 million — all with the purpose of expanding the availability of broadband throughout the island.

The three Puerto Rico grants were among the 230 grants provided nationwide. The Commerce Department received more than 3,000 applications and picked the most sustainable projects. The key factors in granting the funds were: to have an experienced and competent management team, the resources available to build and operate the network, and a plan for business continuity.

Anna Gómez, deputy assistant secretary for communications and information and deputy administrator of the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), who visited the island to oversee the projects funded by her department, was pleased with the progress of the three projects.