ID Insight Ranks Arkansas as Top U.S. State for Broadband Competition

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100422006612/en

National study ranks competitive environments based on broadband market-share
distribution
NORTHFIELD, Minn.--(Business Wire)--
In the first national study of broadband service providers` market share,
data-and-analytics firm ID Insight and industry analyst Craig Settles found
Arkansas to have the most competitive environment nationwide. The study, "The
State of Broadband Competition in America - 2010," based its rankings on
market-share distribution analysis of states` top-10 broadband providers.

Using over two million data points nationwide, ID Insight`s BroadBand Scout℠
database determined market share within each state and the District of Columbia.
Arkansas was ranked as the country`s most competitive state, followed by North
Dakota and South Carolina. Hawaii and Rhode Island ranked 50th and 51st,
respectively.

Top 20 States, Ranked by Level of Competitiveness
1. Arkansas 11. West Virginia
2. North Dakota 12. Wisconsin
3. South Carolina 13. Minnesota
4. Nebraska 14. Florida
5. California 15. Montana
6. Alabama 16. Connecticut
7. Missouri 17. North Carolina
8. Indiana 18. South Dakota
9. Texas 19. Oregon
10. Kentucky 20. Michigan

The complete report, including the methodology used, is available at no charge
at www.idinsight.com/broadband.asp. According to Settles and ID Insight
president Adam Elliott, the data dispels the assumption by some that broadband
competition in the United States is robust, and that consumers have many
choices.

"Because competition continues to be a major point of contention within the
broadband industry, we wanted to generate an accurate and, above all, unbiased
picture of the competitive landscape," says Elliott. "The BroadBand Scout
database observes usage and carrier information across the country, allowing us
to rank states by level of competitiveness, and see how factors such as
population density, percentage of rural versus urban areas, and Internet usage
and speeds consumed affect a state`s ranking."

"The state of competition within the broadband industry continues to be a
significant issue, and it`s absolutely critical to utilize objective data to
shape the discussion as we move forward," says Settles. "BroadBand Scout is the
first resource to effectively deliver that data, and provides a valuable
jumping-off point as we continue this important conversation."

The authors drew several additional conclusions from their research, including:

* There is a strong correlation between income and home value and the level of
competiveness in a state. As income and home values show an increase from state
to state, the level of competition - as measured by the report - decreases.
* States with the largest percentage of Internet users and the highest available
speed tend to be less competitive.
* The bulk of broadband stimulus funding did not go to states with the least
competitive environments.

Since it launched in December 2009, BroadBand Scout has been providing similar
connectivity, speed and carrier data to communities and broadband carriers
applying for funding from the $7.2 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act broadband stimulus program, and allowing broadband and wireless carriers to
cost-effectively target new areas for service expansion and better research
competitors. BroadBand Scout uses a unique analytical survey process of
accessing millions of records in ID Insight`s proprietary databases that were
initially assembled to track Internet usage activity.

About the Study Authors

Northfield, Minn.-based ID Insight, the innovator in Access-Point Intelligence,
combines its massive collection of data on people and access points with
patent-pending analytics to help companies research new markets, prevent fraud,
reduce costs and capture more business. ID Insight provides next-generation
market research, verification, authentication, and fraud solutions to financial
services companies, credit issuers, retailers, online merchants and broadband
providers nationwide. For more information, visit www.IDInsight.com.

Craig Settles, President of Successful.com, is an industry analyst and business
strategist who helps private and public sector organizations implement broadband
technology. Author of Fighting the Next Good Fight: Bringing True Broadband to
Your Community, blogs and many in-depth reports, Settles is a prominent thought
leader on executing appropriate broadband strategies. He is also Director of
Communities United for Broadband, a national grass roots effort to assist
communities launch their networks.

ID Insight
Media Contact:
Brian Bellmont, 952-233-0428
Bellmont Partners Public Relations
info@bellmontpartners.com

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