At the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce in Connecticut, we take pride in the fact that our county has continued to expand and develop despite a tough economic climate throughout and state and the country as a whole. This growth is not by accident. There are many factors that have gone into our county’s ability to stay ahead of the curve. Technology, and more specifically broadband, has played a role that is second to none.

Creating a positive business environment has many facets. We ensure that benefits and opportunities are available at every turn, and that these businesses remain as competitive as possible in a volatile economic climate. Primary to the goal of maintaining competiveness is technology, especially broadband. Broadband allows companies to innovate at a rapid pace, offer their products to more customers in more places, and remain on the cutting edge of communication with the global market. The value of broadband to a business’s ability to maintain its competitive edge cannot be overstated.

The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce has been around for more than a century, but just in our last 25 years or so have we really begun to see rapid growth and enhanced benefits for our members. We have been able to attract some of the best businesses in the country to our county to conduct business. This is because we provide an atmosphere that is friendly to businesses, and an environment that has all of the tools and infrastructure necessary to compete in today’s 24/7 global economy. Broadband access is a vital part of that infrastructure and will continue to be as we look forward to enhancing businesses in Middlesex County for the next hundred years.

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• The report cites the United States as 7th fastest county in the world for broadband speeds.   20% of the broadband connections in the US are faster than 5 Mbps.  
• The report also lists the 10 fastest U.S. states.   Delaware leads with 60% of connections from the state connecting to the Akamai network at speeds over 5 Mbps.

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State Efforts to Expand Broadband Access
National Governors Association
May 20, 2008

• Broadband communication is radically transforming the way in which Americans use the Internet by providing the ability to access voice, video, and data through a single network.
• There are benefits in having access to educational institutions or telemedicine applications through the Internet.
• The study recommends a variety of successful approaches to spur broadband in the states.

Click here to read an executive summary of the study.

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• Ranks in the top 5 for employment in IT occupations in non-IT sectors, at 1.83%. (Dr. Rob Atkinson, The 2007 State New Economy Index)

• Ranks in the top 5  for the percentage of jobs held by managers, professionals and technicians, at 24.50% of the total workforce. (Dr. Rob Atkinson, The 2007 State New Economy Index)

• Ranks in the top 5 for the percentage of farmers with internet access and using computers for business. (Dr. Rob Atkinson, The 2007 State New Economy Index)

• Total economic impact of $1,938,746,950 if broadband deployment were increased at a reaosnable level. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Net job growth of 29,765 jobs from increase in broadband deployment. (Connected Nation, The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally)

• Hartford/New Haven, CT ranks in the top ten markets for broadband penetration. (Scarbrough Research, “The Need for Internet Speed: Broadband Penetration Increased More than 300% Since 2002”)

• The Connecticut Education Network provides K-12 schools, institutions of higher education, and libraries with fiber optic broadband connections. (Alliance for Public Technology and Communications Workers of America, State Broadband Initiatives)