Minnesota Lags Behind Goal For High-Speed Internet

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A new state report shows that Minnesota still has a ways to go to meet the Legislature's ambitious goals for access to high-speed Internet connections.

In 2010, the Legislature adopted goals for broadband access and speeds for the state by 2015. The first calls for all residents to have access to download speeds of at least 10 megabits per second.

The report says 84 percent of Minnesota households meet that goal. The second goal calls for Minnesota to be among the top five states in average broadband speed. The report says Minnesota is not even close.

Minnesota's average connection speed of 4.5 megabits per second is 24th in the nation, or about the U.S. average of 4.6 megabits per second. Delaware leads the nation at 7.2 megabits per second.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)