The first shows the availability of "high speed internet access" as defined by the old 200 kbps downstream definition. That looks pretty good. Now flip to the next map, which uses the slightly better but still very slow definition of 768 kbps download. Notice the difference? Lesson: Geography matters for availability, and middle America is in danger of experiencing a Vernor Vinge moment of being condemned to the "slow zone."
Note also the last slide: availability of mobile broadband providers. The number of even theoretical providers drops precipitously. Lesson: wireless is not any more "competitive" than wireline.
