Internet Access in Mississippi

Mississippi is among the ten worst states with regards to state broadband access, ranking in at 42nd. It ranks so low because of the slow average download speed of 84.5 Mbps, and because over 16% percent of the population does not have access to a 25 Mbps internet connection. On the flipside, 39.9% of Mississippians have access to fiber-optic service, which is significantly higher than the national average that currently sits at 25%.

The “digital divide” is a term used to quantify the gulf between people who have reliable access to the internet and those who do not. That 16% of people without sufficient speed of connection translates to 368,000 residents. 258,000 Mississippians are sitting without any access or options at all based, and another 236,000 people only have one option based on their location. Having limited options means not being able to find the best deals and a lot of residents being stuck dissatisfied.

56.8% of Mississippians are able to opt for a low-priced monthly internet plan (costing $60 or less), according to affordability data. This is above the nationwide average of 51.5%.

Mississippi's top-ranking city is Jackson. Jackson, Long Beach, Horn Lake, and Madison rank as the four best states with regard to having the best combination of internet coverage, speed, and affordability.

On the other side of the spectrum, Delta City, Tippo, Philipp, and Morgan City rank the lowest in terms of access and affordability.

Since 2010, $7,011,691 in federal grants and an additional $102,364,489 have gone towards developing, data collecting and expanding Mississippi's broadband infrastructure.