By the BroadbandNow team:
The state of Missouri has the 32nd best internet in the USA. Some pockets throughout the state have strong high-speed internet coverage, while other areas have much less access. Speed tests show that average state download speeds hover at 108.4 Mbps, which is faster than a handful of higher-ranking states.
The Digital Divide in Missouri
The ‘digital divide’ or technological gap in Iowa between those who have access to high-speed, affordable internet and those who do not can be measured by the following statistics.
At this time, 85.6% of Missourians have access to a wired broadband connection with speeds of 25 Mbps or faster. Still, 780,000 people do not have a wired connection capable of such speeds. Another 833,000 people in Missouri only have one internet provider offering services at their place of residence, despite there being 255 internet providers operating in Missouri. Additionally, 352,000 residents do not have access to a broadband connection at all.
Recent affordability data reveals that 55.2% of Missourians have access to a wired low-price internet plan costing $60/month or less. This is higher than the national average of 51.5% of Americans with access to the same.
Best-Connected Cities
Missouri’s top-ranking cities in the area of wired broadband access and affordability are Kansas City, Grandview, Independence, and Saint Louis. Out of these cities, Kansas City ranks the highest, with the best internet in the state.
Worst-Connected Cities
On the other hand, Missouri’s lowest-ranking cities, at least when it comes to the internet, are Quincy, Uniontown, Old Appleton, and Arcola. At this time, Quincy has the worst internet in the state — the fastest average connection speed is just 0.49 Mbps.
If you’d like to note how Missouri’s internet coverage compares with the rest of the USA, find out more here.
Governmental Initiatives
Since 2010, over $6.5 million in federal grants has been awarded to the MOBroadbandNow operated by the Missouri Office of Administration to target broadband development in the state. Another $71,745,250 in federal grant funds has gone toward the expansion of broadband infrastructure statewide.
Operating the Missouri Department of Economic Development, the Office of Broadband Development is focusing on the deployment of high-speed broadband, including efforts to reach rural areas of the state.
The information above is taken from a mix of public and private datasets. More about our data here.