Mass. ranks first in broadband subscribers, R.I. ranks 11th

WASHINGTON – Broadband in the States 2003, a study released last week by the American Electronics Association, one of the largest high-tech trade organizations in the nation, found that Massachusetts ranked first and Rhode Island ranked 11th in the nation in broadband subscribers per 1,000 households and 17th in home Internet access.



Rhode Island ranked 37th in the nation in the number of broadband subscribers between December 2001 and June 2002, the report found. Nearly 89 percent of subscribers were residential and small-business subscribers while 11 percent were medium and large businesses and government agencies.



Rhode Island had 72,553 total broadband subscribers in June 2002 while Massachusetts had 584,000.



Nationally, Broadband in the States 2003, shows that broadband subscribers totaled 16.2 million in June 2002, compared to 12.8 million in December 2001. This 27-percent increase was the slowest since the FCC started collecting statistics back in 1999, according to an analysis of the report by AEA.


 



Boeing-Textron V-22 gets Pentagon’s approval



PROVIDENCE – The flight-test program for the Boeing Co. and Textron Inc.’s V-22 Osprey is “proceeding extremely well” and the Pentagon can consider buying more planes in fiscal 2005, the Pentagon’s top acquisition official said.



That’s good news for the Osprey program. The Osprey – a fixed-wing plane with rotors that tilt so the craft can take off and land like a helicopter – was put on probation following two crashes in 2000 that killed a total of 23 Marines and reports from the Pentagon’s top testing office that it was unreliable.



Pentagon testers say the companies have fixed problems with the plane’s software and hydraulics, and testing has shown that pilots can recognize and escape the onset of an aerodynamic phenomenon that causes uncontrolled roll and rapid descent similar to what caused a crash in April 2000 that killed 19 Marines.



“Testing to date indicates that the technical issues associated with this development program appear to be resolved,” said Edward “Pete” Aldridge, undersecretary for acquisition.



“I reviewed the technical and programmatic status and found the restructured program and flight-test program to be proceeding extremely well,” said Aldridge in a memo. “The technical progress of the flight-test program validates the revolutionary nature of the aircraft.” (Bloomberg News)

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